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Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Not to be confused with Intelligence Protection Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Islamic Revolutionary
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Imam Hossein University
Baqiyatallah University
University of Command and Staff
Amir Al-Momenin University

Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Persian: سازمان اطلاعات سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی) is an Iranian intelligence agency within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and part of Council for Intelligence Coordination.[1] The Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IO-IRGC) was established on Khamenei's initiative in 2009, and Reports directly to the Supreme Leader.[2]

According to Stratfor, it is as powerful as the Ministry of Intelligence and possibly even more powerful than the other service. The agency appears to be more active at a domestic level while at an international level, the Quds Force is the key operational group. The agency also has a wide range of Basij informers.[3] It has been described as a "more ideological counterpart" to the Ministry of Intelligence, which it "overshadows" and "often" overrules, according to the New York Times.[4]

The IO-IRGC is known for conducting internal surveillance, suppressing dissent, and maintaining a vast network of ideological informants.[5] [6]Reports from the Institute for the Regulation of Extremism (FDD) note that the Commander of IRGC Intelligence is directly implicated in "surveilling and torturing dissidents".[7] There is evidence from reputable human rights organizations and victim testimonies showing that the IO‑IRGC systematically employs white torture and rape threats.[8][9]

Description

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Under the leadership of Mohammad Kazemi, the IO-IRGC became a key instrument of state control, conducting extensive surveillance, detaining individuals critical of the regime, and managing detention facilities across Iran, including a designated ward in Evin Prison known for its harsh interrogation practices.[7]

The IO‑IRGC plays a significant role in internal security and technological monitoring. A detailed analysis explains that it actively engages in "suppressing internal dissent, especially through online domestic surveillance", leveraging state control over communications to identify and prosecute thousands of citizens under vaguely defined cyber-crime laws.[6]

There is evidence from human rights organizations and victim testimonies showing that the IO‑IRGC systematically employs white torture as a brutal form of coercion and control, including complete solitary isolation, rape threats, and white torture.[8] Iran HRM (2025) reports that white torture is systematically used in Iranian prisons by the IO-IRGC, particularly against political prisoners, activists, and religious minorities. The method is deliberately designed to break a person psychologically through prolonged isolation, sensory deprivation, disrupted sleep, and constant psychological threats.[10]

As head of the IRGCA intelligence organization, Kazemi ordered  brutal crackdowns on protest movements, including state violence and the detention of dual national citizens. The Spreading Justice database reports IRGC Intelligence under Kazemi used torture and rape, including the high-profile case of Armita Abbasi, whom agents in Karaj allegedly arrested, took to an IRGC center, and subjected to rape and other torture, stating he "was directly responsible for human rights violations… against all Iranian citizens,". He was Sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in October 2022 and February 2025 for his actions as head of the IO-IRGC.[11][12]


Senior officials

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Chairmen

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bahmani, Arash (25 October 2014). "Announced for the First Time: Iran Has 16 Intelligence Agencies". Rooz Online. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  2. ^ Wege, Carl Anthony (2015). "Iran's Intelligence Establishment" (PDF). Journal of U.S. Intelligence Studies. 21 (2): 66. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. ^ Dumitrescu, Octavian (November 20, 2010). "The Intelligence and Security Services of Iran". Global Security. Retrieved October 15, 2015.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ Tim Arango; James Risen; Farnaz Fassihi; Ronen Bergman; Murtaza Hussain (19 November 2019). "The Iran Cables: Secret Documents Show How Tehran Wields Power in Iraq". New York Times.
  5. ^ ""Like the Dead in Their Coffins: Torture, Detention, and the Crushing of Dissent in Iran: V. Detention Centers and Ill-Treatment". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  6. ^ a b "Iranian Intelligence Community: An Overview". Grey Dynamics. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  7. ^ a b Berman, Zachary (2025-06-19). "5 Oppressive Iranian Institutions Israel has Targeted". FDD. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  8. ^ a b "Islamic Republic Uses Different Methods To Torture Protesters". www.iranintl.com. 2023-01-25. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  9. ^ "White torture: A silent death - Iran HRM". 2025-05-15. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  10. ^ "White torture: A silent death - Iran HRM". 2025-05-15. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  11. ^ "Treasury Sanctions Iranian Regime Officials Tied to Continued Violence Against Protestors". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2025-02-08. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  12. ^ "Individual Violator". Spreading Justice. 2023-05-08. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  13. ^ "Gen. Mohammad Kazemi appointed new IRGC intelligence chief", Mehr News Agency, 23 June 2022, retrieved 23 June 2022
  14. ^ a b "سردار حسین نجات جانشین رئیس سازمان اطلاعات سپاه شد" (in Persian). Fars News Agency. 27 December 2016. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2017.


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