Which actor is renowned for controlling security and intelligence operations and having extensive economic interests, shaping domestic and foreign policy?

• A. The Majles
• B. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
• C. The Guardian Council
• D. The President

Answer: (B)

In Iran, a single organization combines hard security control with extensive economic power, giving it outsized influence over both domestic and foreign policy. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operates its own security and intelligence apparatus, allowing it to shape security policy, suppress opposition, and protect regime interests. It also runs a large network of economic enterprises—banks, construction, energy, and more—providing financial resources that fund operations and extend political leverage. That blend of controlling security and wielding economic clout lets it sway decisions at home and abroad more than civilian actors like the president, the parliament (the Majles), or the Guardian Council.