All articles tagged with #irgc
Even after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed and traffic is tightly controlled by Iran’s IRGC, keeping the global oil chokepoint constrained and prices near $100 a barrel. Analysts warn that without a sustained reopening, the energy shock could deepen and slow global growth, with Brent likely to average above $100 this year as shippers tread carefully and recovery could take months.
The NYT explains how Iran orchestrated a rapid, cross‑platform information operation to push a claim that an American F‑18 was shot down near Chabahar, using IRGC and state media posts, embassies on X, Russian outlets, and influencers to amplify the narrative across X, Telegram, TikTok and more within about 69 minutes—well before CENTCOM denied the attack—showing how online ecosystems can spread propaganda before official verification.
Iran's IRGC Navy released a map showing safe routes through the Strait of Hormuz to avoid mines, but Iranian media gave conflicting reports on whether the strait is open, with Press TV claiming closure while SSN said designated safe passages exist—leaving the status uncertain as tanker traffic and global oil/shipping flows face disruption.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned it could strike American tech and defense companies operating in the Middle East in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli targeting of Iranian leadership, naming 18 firms including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, and Palantir and urging evacuation within 1 kilometer of facilities. A White House official said the U.S. military is prepared to counter such attacks, elevating concerns about protecting regional tech infrastructure after Iranian drone strikes previously knocked out AWS data-center power in the UAE and Bahrain.
Iranian leaders say they are winning by influencing global oil prices and weathering heavy airstrikes, using asymmetrical tactics to pressure the U.S. into negotiations while the IRGC consolidates power at home. Tehran’s strategy centers on energy infrastructure, the Strait of Hormuz, and inflationary pressure to shape how the war ends, even as it faces domestic and regional challenges.
Iran confirmed the death of Revolutionary Guards Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri after severe injuries, citing a guards' statement; Israel had earlier said the commander was killed in a precise operation.
Analysts say Iran’s long-standing nuclear restraint—anchored by a fatwa and strategic patience—could be changing as hardline factions and the IRGC gain influence after the late Supreme Leader’s death, with Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership uncertain. Tehran already has over 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, and if policy shifts, Iran could pursue a crude or more capable device. A reversal risks a regional arms race, potentially drawing Saudi Arabia into nuclear ambitions, though deterrence remains uncertain since Iranian missiles cannot reach the US. The outcome hinges on leadership decisions, fatwas, and domestic-military dynamics amid ongoing conflict and external pressure.
Lebanon’s government declared Iran’s ambassador-designate Mohammad Reza Sheibani persona non grata and ordered him to leave by March 29, 2026, but he reportedly refused to depart, saying he will stay in line with the wishes of Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah as Iran’s involvement in Lebanon and IRGC activity in the region continues.
ISW-CTP’s daily update portrays a widening US/Israeli campaign against Iran, with strikes damaging four key missile facilities (Khojir, Shahroud, Parchin, Hakimiyeh) and over 20 missile bases, while Iran retaliates against Israel and conducts strikes on Gulf targets. Inside Iran, economic strain and simmering tensions between President Pezeshkian and the IRGC are prompting recruitment efforts and policy friction. Russia provides satellite support, and Iran-backed militias, including Hezbollah and Iraqi groups, escalate cross-border attacks. The US is withdrawing from Syria’s Qasrak Base, and Houthis have briefly appeared in the conflict, signaling expanding regional spillovers and mounting costs for Iran.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that U.S.-affiliated campuses in the Middle East could be targeted in retaliation for strikes on Iranian universities, demanding Washington condemn the attacks by noon; Tehran also reported damage to a Tehran university with no casualties.
Iran’s leadership shift amid war pressure and hardline gains has reignited talk of reversing the long-standing nuclear doctrine. With the new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei at the helm and the IRGC tightening its grip, experts say the regime could abandon the nuclear fatwa and pursue a weapon, leveraging Iran’s stockpile of more than 400 kilograms of enriched uranium. A crude device could be possible and would serve as a deterrent, but it might spark a regional arms race—most notably with Saudi Arabia—while deterrence remains far from guaranteed and many details about Iran’s intentions remain uncertain.
The U.S. is weighing potential ground operations in Iran, with discussions of deploying up to 10,000 additional troops as Tehran’s IRGC remains capable despite attrition. Israel has struck IRGC leadership, while Iran continues attacks around the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. and allied strikes have degraded many Iranian missile, drone, and shipyard facilities, but experts warn Iran could still mount significant attacks and maintain reserves; a ground escalation could threaten U.S. forces, particularly near Kharg Island, and measuring capability by launch rates may not capture ongoing risk.
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) confirmed it was attacked by Iran, with two people lightly injured and damage being assessed, after Iran's IRGC claimed targeting Alba and Emirates Global Aluminium in retaliation for attacks on Iranian steel plants; Reuters could not independently verify the claim. Alba had earlier reduced capacity due to disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, UAE and Kuwait reported air defenses intercepting missiles and drones from Iran, underscoring rising regional tension.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned it would target American and Israeli universities in West Asia in retaliation for a reported strike on Tehran's Iran University of Science and Technology, giving the U.S. until Monday to condemn the attack and imposing a 1-kilometer exclusion zone around campuses; observers note security forces have used civilians as cover, raising tensions across the region.
Bellingcat geolocated two new videos showing two separate missile strikes on an IRGC base in Minab and an adjacent school, suggesting two waves of attacks. The first wave appears to have hit near the school (which Iranian media says killed at least 175 people, including children), while the second wave hit an IRGC clinic and two additional buildings within the compound. Solar/shadow analysis implies a time gap of about an hour between the two strikes, and the reporting aligns with earlier accounts that a US Tomahawk strike occurred on Feb. 28; investigations remain ongoing.