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October 31, 2012
IRGC Rank Insignia Guide
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has become a dominant force in Iranian military, political, economic and foreign affairs, and its senior commanders often speak publicly on critical policy issues. It is difficult to gauge the significance of a commander's remarks, however, without a firm understanding of that individual's relative power within the Islamic Republic. Although military rank is only one of many determinants of power in Iran, it is nonetheless a reliable indicator of authority for military officials. Understanding the IRGC's formal rank system is, therefore, an important component of understanding the Iranian regime's power structure and its key players. This slide deck explains the rank structure of the IRGC and the relative degree of formal military authority granted to guardsmen at each rank.