In Part 2, we saw how eight years of war with Iraq forged the IRGC into a ruthless military machine. But when the guns fell silent in 1988, they didn't go home. They turned inward—and started building an empire.
This is the story of how the IRGC captured Iran from within. How Khamenei handed them a construction company that became the largest contractor in the Middle East. How they took over oil, banking, telecoms, and smuggling until they controlled a parallel economy answerable only to the Supreme Leader. And how a quiet officer from Kerman named Qasem Soleimani took command of the Quds Force—and turned it into a shadow empire stretching from Beirut to Baghdad to Sanaa.
This is Part 3 of our 4-part series on the dark history of the IRGC. Subscribe and hit the bell—Part 4 is where the empire collides with America in the open.
ome scenes are cinematic reconstructions of documented events. All quotes, dates, and sources are historically verified.