In the latest Middle Eastern Outlook, American Enterprise Institute (AEI) resident fellow Ali Alfoneh examines how Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC QF) is increasingly shaped by a new generation of commanders like Brigadier General Iraj Masjedi, whose close ties with Iraqi insurgents--now power brokers--date back to the Iran-Iraq war.

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,...

The career of Iraj Masjedi, including his service at Base Ramezan and his promotion to senior adviser to Qassem Suleimani, highlights a cycle of generational change within the IRGC QF, and offers an indication of where to find Iran's future Quds Force leaders.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander fears attack against Iran and warns Hezbollah not to attack Israel for fear of reprisal

Should Qassem Suleimani pursue politics, he may be replaced by his deputy, Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, who is believed to be directing the IRGC QF’s activities in Afghanistan.

This article, available in Persian, appears in the Winter 2010 edition of Iran Nameh.

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

The author displays a shocking lack of detail and instead indulges in long, sentimental passages about his family life and rituals of the Iranian New Year.