The position and effectiveness of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran politics in the post-revolutionary era

Islamic Revolution, succeeded in 1979, is a very important subject in the regional and global affairs because of its outcomes. Iranian political and social life have been reshaped within the framework of Islamic values. New institutions including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been created in order to save and maintain the Islamis regime. During the period from its foundation to Khomeini's death, IRGC was located out of the politic sphere. But after the selection of Khamenei as a new leader, with his the support and encouragements IRGC became strong enough to interfere in the political sphere. With the activities of its Quds Force branch, it has dominated Iranian foreign policy and made Ministry of Foreign Affairs disfunctional. In this thesis, an answer has been sought to the question of how IRGC which makes its presense felt in every field,including military, economic and social life, became so powerful. It has been assessed that IRGC assumed the duties of protecting the revolution and defending Iran against internal and external threats before Khomeini's death. It has changed after the selection of Hamanei as a Surpreme Leader, Hamanei who had a problem of legitimacy, supported the strengthening of IRGC, which Khamenei saw as the guarantee of his Office. In this context, it was concluded that it is not surprising that IRGC has reached the power it has today. Strengthened by the support of Khamenei, it was inevitable for IRGC to increase its influence in the political sphere thanks to its members who were placed in political positions during the Ahmadinejad period. In addition, as a result of the privileges given to the companies within its body, IRGC has turned into an actor with the capacity to have a significant impact on the Iranian economy. Thanks to the primary and vital role it has assumed in Iran's security policies, IRGC has had a direct impact on decision makers with the advantage of being directly subject to the Surpreme Leader. In this study, the relationship between IRGC and civil governments was examined, and periodic differences were observed. There are many factors affecting the relationships. It has been observed that these are factors such as the ideological view of the civilian leader, his belief in the authority of velayet-i faqih, and his foreign policy view. In addition, it has been concluded that the attitude of the civilian leader towards the activities of IRGC in the areas it is authorized and relevant is also decisive. It has been evaluated that the tendency to intervene increases at points where its effectiveness in the political and economic field is restricted. In addition to its military identity, it has been seen that the relationship between the Guide and the President also affected the relations between IRGC and the civilian leader, since IRGC is an ideologically affiliated entity to the Surpreme Leader. In the case of disagreements between the Supreme Leader and the civilian government, it was concluded that IRGC was on the side of the Surpreme Leader.