According toStratfor, it is as powerful as theMinistry 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, theQuds Force is the key operational group. The agency also has a wide range ofBasij informers.[3] It has been described as a "more ideological counterpart" to the Ministry of Intelligence, which it"overshadows" and "often" overrules, according to theNew York Times.[4]
The IO-IRGC is known for conducting internal surveillance, suppressing dissent, and maintaining a vast network of ideological informants.[5][6]Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a pro-Israel lobby group, alleges that the Commander of IRGC Intelligence is directly implicated in "surveilling and torturing dissidents".[7] According toIran International, the IO‑IRGC systematically employswhite torture and rape threats.[8][9]
As head of the intelligence organization, Kazemi was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in October 2022 and February 2025 for his actions.[10]
^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.
