In July 2011, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appointed Maj. Gen. Rostam Qassemi of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as oil minister,[1] bringing the number of former IRGC officers in his cabinet to twelve out of eighteen. Yet the IRGC's seizure of the Oil Ministry could have far reaching economic,...

As the "5 plus 1" Group resumes negotiations with Iran today in Geneva, expectations remain low. If the bravado and propaganda should turn out to be mere theatrics meant to disguise the Iranian political leadership's readiness to accept the terms of the 5-plus-1 Group in Geneva, there is still little reason for enchantment.

The latest round of UN sanctions against Iran are merely a symbolic gesture and will not work because they fail to target the financial arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the engine of Iran's nuclear program.

An effective sanctions regime against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps must necessarily target its financial arm.

On May 18, President Barack Obama imposed sanctions against Major General Qassem Suleimani. To counter Suleimani and the Quds Force, US strategists need to understand his history of overconfident behavior and military successes.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps are closely intertwined in the Iranian economy, complicating U.S. and European efforts to stop Iran's nuclear program.