Guardians of the Revolution: Iran's Shadow Army

Iran’s revolutionary guards are once again in the spotlight as the war in the Middle East escalates. The guards, who answer only to the country’s supreme leader, are responsible for launching attacks oversees and overseeing the country’s ballistic missile arsenal. President Trump, who has already bombed their headquarters, would like to see them destroyed. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are the elite forces of the regime, an organisation as secretive as it is feared. Created in 1979 at the birth of the Islamic Islamic Republic, the Revolutionary Guards have remained the armed wing of the regime. Their original mission was to protect the Supreme Leader and relentlessly hunt down his enemies. Over the years, their power has grown almost absolute, surpassing the regular army. They command ground forces, a navy, an air force and even a special elite unit. With 125,000 personnel, the Revolutionary Guards have effectively become the country’s true rulers. A few weeks before the protests began at the end of 2025, we were exceptionally granted permission to film in Iran. We saw first-hand how difficult life had become for the majority of Iranians. In the market, Iranian staples like pomegranates are now unaffordable for many. Women walk around with no veils, openly defying the regime. Young people openly call for the death of Khamanei; their parents admit that life was better before. Yet, the Revolutionary Guards were severely weakened by the Twelve-Day War in Israel in June 2025. Through an unprecedented infiltration operation, the Israeli state succeeded in assassinating around twenty of their commanders. In Iran, the Revolutionary Guards refuse to acknowledge their defeat and retreat instead into anti-Israeli propaganda. In Tehran, one of their historic leaders agreed to meet us. Hossein Kanani Moghaddam, a former leader of the IRGC’s Supreme Council, claims the organisation remains the only shield against Israeli expansionism in the Middle East. But this narrative no longer resonates with the majority of the population. Today, with 70% of Iranians calling for the end of the Islamic Republic, any remaining legitimacy the Islamic Republic regime had is dying with its protestors. Director: Maxime Morel Watch more related documentaries in our playlist Middle East