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The secretive Quds Force’s exact size is unknown, but intelligence agencies estimate it has anywhere between 5.000 and 20.000 members. However, through its countless proxies, which act as a force multiplier, the Quds Force spreads havoc across the entire region.
Hence, the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain have officially designated the Quds Force as a foreign terrorist group and sanctioned its commanders, a rare occurrence for an organization that is part of a foreign army.
The Quds Force: Involved in Every Major Conflict
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, founded the IRGC some three months after the fall of the Shah’s monarchy. According to its mission statement, the IRGC was established to protect the revolution against internal and external threats. To this end, the IRGC also created an intelligence unit that would carry out clandestine operations abroad. After several reorganizations, the mullahs established the Quds Force as an independent branch of the IRGC.