Part 5/13:
However, a significant obstacle persists: the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Unlike the clerics, the IRGC wields immense power within Iran, controlling vast economic sectors, intelligence networks, media outlets, and political influence. The IRGC operates independently of the clerical leadership, often answering directly to Khamenei, and could resist any regime change from within. Its extensive resources and embedded position within Iranian society suggest that if the regime falls, the IRGC could resort to prolonged insurgency, sabotage, targeted assassinations, or even civil war.