Quds Force

The Quds Force is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps branch responsible for overseas operations, liaison, and support to allied armed groups and organizations.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: Iran's military organization, established after the 1979 revolution, that operates alongside the country's regular armed forces. The Quds Force is a branch of this organization and draws on its resources and authority.
Iranian Revolution: The 1978–1979 upheaval that ended Iran's monarchy and established the Islamic Republic. The new state created the IRGC, whose overseas branch later became the Quds Force.
Qasem Soleimani: An Iranian major general who led the Quds Force from 1998 until his death in 2020. His tenure made him the force's best-known commander and a central broker of regional partnerships.
Syrian Civil War: The conflict that began in Syria in 2011 between the government and a range of armed opposition groups. The Quds Force coordinated Iranian support for the Syrian government and allied forces.
Axis of Resistance: A political and military alignment led by Iran and including allied governments and armed groups opposing Israeli and U.S. influence. The Quds Force helps coordinate relationships among several members of this alignment.
Proxy warfare: Conflict in which a state or other sponsor supports local forces rather than fighting solely through its own armed forces. Support for partner forces is a central way the Quds Force projects influence abroad.
Lebanese Civil War: A 1975–1990 conflict among Lebanese factions and external forces. Iranian Revolutionary Guards deployed to Lebanon during the war, helping build ties that shaped the force's early role.
Esmail Qaani: An Iranian general who became Quds Force commander after Qasem Soleimani's death in 2020. He inherited command and the challenge of maintaining the force's networks.
Iraq War: The 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent conflict that toppled Saddam Hussein's government. After the invasion, the force built influence through relationships with Iraqi political and armed groups.
United States designation of the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization: The 2019 U.S. decision to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization. The designation reflects U.S. accusations concerning the IRGC and its Quds Force's overseas activities.

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