Quds Force
The Quds Force is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) specializing in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. U.S. Army's Iraq War General Stanley McChrystal describes the Quds Force as an organization analogous to a combination of the CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the United States. Responsible for extraterritorial operations, the Quds Force supports non-state actors in many countries, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthi movement, and Shia militias in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. According to Michael Wigginton et al., the Al-Quds Force is "a classic example of state-sponsored terrorism."
Some of the key events about Quds Force
- 1980Provided support to Afghan mujahideen fighting against Soviet occupation
- 1982Assisted in training Lebanese Shia militias during the Lebanese Civil War
- 1983Orchestrated bombing of U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American servicemen
- 1990Aided Kurdish refugees fleeing from Iraq after the Gulf War
- 1992Supported Bosnian Muslims during the Bosnian War
- 1994Coordinated bombing of Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, resulting in 85 deaths
- 2001Cooperated with U.S. forces in Afghanistan against the Taliban
- 2003Assisted in stabilizing post-invasion Iraq and forming the new Iraqi government
- 2003Provided weapons and training to Iraqi insurgents fighting U.S. forces
- 2005Supplied explosives and training for attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan
- 2006Provided humanitarian aid to Lebanon during the Israel-Hezbollah War
- 2011Supported Syrian government forces in maintaining stability during the Syrian Civil War
- 2011Plotted assassination attempt on Saudi ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C.
- 2012Supported Syrian government forces in civil war, contributing to civilian casualties
- 2014Played a key role in combating ISIS in Iraq
- 2014Provided military assistance to Houthi rebels in Yemen, escalating regional conflict
- 2017Contributed to the defeat of ISIS in Syria
- 2019Shot down U.S. surveillance drone over Strait of Hormuz, increasing tensions
- 2020Launched missile attacks on U.S. military bases in Iraq, injuring numerous personnel
- 2022Conducted cyber attacks on Israeli infrastructure, disrupting civilian services
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.