In 1979, the Islamic revolution occurred in Iran; and, with it came the desire to export this Islamic revolution to the rest of the Muslim world. The IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) was created in April 1979 with the expressed purpose and mission of protecting the Islamic republic system and exporting the revolution outside of Iran. Iran, through the IRGC (a U.S. designated terrorist organization) and its affiliates, has been able to spread its tentacles across the globe and now maintains a global reach. The Iranian government has militias in Iraq, groups in Yemen, Gaza, and Africa, as it tries to exploit conflicts through terrorist tactics to better entrench itself and further influence the region.

 

The crown jewel of Iran's global reach is the terrorist group Hezbollah, who by all accounts is stronger, bigger, and better equipped than most armies. The organization controls Lebanon both politically, militarily and has networks of terrorists around the globe that will do Iran’s bidding when told to. The Syrian war has given Iran an opportunity to entrench itself on Israel’s northern border and direct corridor from Iran to Lebanon and thus the Mediterranean. Iran has used the tactic of terrorism to export its revolution through the IRGC and it other affiliates. The workshop will discuss the extent of Iran’s global reach and explore how (and if) it uses terrorism to export its revolutionary goals.