title: Chromium

text: Chromium is the 21st most abundant element in Earth's crust with an average concentration of 100 ppm. Chromium compounds are found in the environment from the erosion of chromium-containing rocks, and can be redistributed by volcanic eruptions. Typical background concentrations of chromium in environmental media are: atmosphere <10 ng/m; soil <500 mg/kg; vegetation <0.5 mg/kg; freshwater <10 μg/L; seawater <1 μg/L; sediment <80 mg/kg. Chromium is mined as chromite (FeCrO) ore.


title: Chromium

text: About two-fifths of the chromite ores and concentrates in the world are produced in South Africa, about a third in Kazakhstan, while India, Russia, and Turkey are also substantial producers. Untapped chromite deposits are plentiful, but geographically concentrated in Kazakhstan and southern Africa. Although rare, deposits of native chromium exist. The Udachnaya Pipe in Russia produces samples of the native metal. This mine is a kimberlite pipe, rich in diamonds, and the reducing environment helped produce both elemental chromium and diamonds.


title: Chromium

text: The relation between Cr(III) and Cr(VI) strongly depends on pH and oxidative properties of the location. In most cases, Cr(III) is the dominating species, but in some areas, the ground water can contain up to 39 µg/L of total chromium, of which 30 µg/L is Cr(VI).


title: Chromium

text: Chromium minerals as pigments came to the attention of the west in the eighteenth century. On 26 July 1761, Johann Gottlob Lehmann found an orange-red mineral in the Beryozovskoye mines in the Ural Mountains which he named "Siberian red lead". Though misidentified as a lead compound with selenium and iron components, the mineral was in fact crocoite with a formula of PbCrO. In 1770, Peter Simon Pallas visited the same site as Lehmann and found a red lead mineral that was discovered to possess useful properties as a pigment in paints. After Pallas, the use of Siberian red lead as a paint pigment began to develop rapidly throughout the region. Crocoite would be the principal source of chromium in pigments until the discovery of chromite many years later.


title: Chromium

text: In 1794, Louis Nicolas Vauquelin received samples of crocoite ore. He produced chromium trioxide (CrO) by mixing crocoite with hydrochloric acid. In 1797, Vauquelin discovered that he could isolate metallic chromium by heating the oxide in a charcoal oven, for which he is credited as the one who truly discovered the element. Vauquelin was also able to detect traces of chromium in precious gemstones, such as ruby and emerald.


title: Chromium

text: During the nineteenth century, chromium was primarily used not only as a component of paints, but in tanning salts as well. For quite some time, the crocoite found in Russia was the main source for such tanning materials. In 1827, a larger chromite deposit was discovered near Baltimore, United States, which quickly met the demand for tanning salts much more adequately than the crocoite that had been used previously. This made the United States the largest producer of chromium products until the year 1848, when larger deposits of chromite were uncovered near the city of Bursa, Turkey. With the development of metallurgy and chemical industries in the Western world, the need for chromium increased.


title: Chromium

text: Chromium is also famous for its reflective, metallic luster when polished. It is used as a protective and decorative coating on car parts, plumbing fixtures, furniture parts and many other items, usually applied by electroplating. Chromium was used for electroplating as early as 1848, but this use only became widespread with the development of an improved process in 1924.


title: Chromium

text: Approximately 28.8 million metric tons (Mt) of marketable chromite ore was produced in 2013, and converted into 7.5 Mt of ferrochromium. According to John F. Papp, writing for the USGS, "Ferrochromium is the leading end use of chromite ore, [and] stainless steel is the leading end use of ferrochromium."


title: Chromium

text: The largest producers of chromium ore in 2013 have been South Africa (48%), Kazakhstan (13%), Turkey (11%), and India (10%), with several other countries producing the rest of about 18% of the world production.


title: Chromium

text: The two main products of chromium ore refining are ferrochromium and metallic chromium. For those products the ore smelter process differs considerably. For the production of ferrochromium, the chromite ore (FeCrO) is reduced in large scale in electric arc furnace or in smaller smelters with either aluminium or silicon in an aluminothermic reaction.


title: Chromium

text: For the production of pure chromium, the iron must be separated from the chromium in a two step roasting and leaching process. The chromite ore is heated with a mixture of calcium carbonate and sodium carbonate in the presence of air. The chromium is oxidized to the hexavalent form, while the iron forms the stable FeO. The subsequent leaching at higher elevated temperatures dissolves the chromates and leaves the insoluble iron oxide. The chromate is converted by sulfuric acid into the dichromate.


title: Chromium

text: The dichromate is converted to the chromium(III) oxide by reduction with carbon and then reduced in an aluminothermic reaction to chromium.


title: Chromium

text: The creation of metal alloys account for 85% of the available chromium's usage. The remainder of chromium is used in the chemical, refractory, and foundry industries.


title: Chromium

text: The strengthening effect of forming stable metal carbides at grain boundaries, and the strong increase in corrosion resistance made chromium an important alloying material for steel. High-speed tool steels contain between 3 and 5% chromium. Stainless steel, the primary corrosion-resistant metal alloy, is formed when chromium is introduced to iron in concentrations above 11%. For stainless steel's formation, ferrochromium is added to the molten iron. Also, nickel-based alloys have increased strength due to the formation of discrete, stable, metal, carbide particles at the grain boundaries. For example, Inconel 718 contains 18.6% chromium. Because of the excellent high-temperature properties of these nickel superalloys, they are used in jet engines and gas turbines in lieu of common structural materials. ASTM B163 relies on Chromium for condenser and heat-exchanger tubes, while castings with high strength at elevated temperatures that contain Chromium are standardised with ASTM A567. AISI type 332 is used where high temperature would normally cause carburization, oxidation or corrosion. Incoloy 800 "is capable of remaining stable and maintaining its austenitic structure even after long time exposures to high temperatures". Nichrome is used as resistance wire for heating elements in things like toasters and space heaters. These uses make chromium a strategic material. Consequently, during World War II, U.S. road engineers were instructed to avoid chromium in yellow road paint, as it "may become a critical material during the emergency." The United States likewise considered chromium "essential for the German war industry" and made intense diplomatic efforts to keep it out of the hands of Nazi Germany.


title: Chromium

text: The high hardness and corrosion resistance of unalloyed chromium makes it a reliable metal for surface coating; it is still the most popular metal for sheet coating, with its above-average durability, compared to other coating metals. A layer of chromium is deposited on pretreated metallic surfaces by electroplating techniques. There are two deposition methods: thin, and thick. Thin deposition involves a layer of chromium below 1 µm thickness deposited by chrome plating, and is used for decorative surfaces. Thicker chromium layers are deposited if wear-resistant surfaces are needed. Both methods use acidic chromate or dichromate solutions. To prevent the energy-consuming change in oxidation state, the use of chromium(III) sulfate is under development; for most applications of chromium, the previously established process is used.


title: Chromium

text: In the chromate conversion coating process, the strong oxidative properties of chromates are used to deposit a protective oxide layer on metals like aluminium, zinc, and cadmium. This passivation and the self-healing properties of the chromate stored in the chromate conversion coating, which is able to migrate to local defects, are the benefits of this coating method. Because of environmental and health regulations on chromates, alternative coating methods are under development.


title: Chromium

text: Chromic acid anodizing (or Type I anodizing) of aluminium is another electrochemical process that does not lead to the deposition of chromium, but uses chromic acid as an electrolyte in the solution. During anodization, an oxide layer is formed on the aluminium. The use of chromic acid, instead of the normally used sulfuric acid, leads to a slight difference of these oxide layers.


title: Chromium

text: The high toxicity of Cr(VI) compounds, used in the established chromium electroplating process, and the strengthening of safety and environmental regulations demand a search for substitutes for chromium, or at least a change to less toxic chromium(III) compounds.


title: Chromium

text: The mineral crocoite (which is also lead chromate PbCrO) was used as a yellow pigment shortly after its discovery. After a synthesis method became available starting from the more abundant chromite, chrome yellow was, together with cadmium yellow, one of the most used yellow pigments. The pigment does not photodegrade, but it tends to darken due to the formation of chromium(III) oxide. It has a strong color, and was used for school buses in the United States and for the postal services (for example, the Deutsche Post) in Europe. The use of chrome yellow has since declined due to environmental and safety concerns and was replaced by organic pigments or other alternatives that are free from lead and chromium. Other pigments that are based around chromium are, for example, the deep shade of red pigment chrome red, which is simply lead chromate with lead(II) hydroxide (PbCrO·Pb(OH)). A very important chromate pigment, which was used widely in metal primer formulations, was zinc chromate, now replaced by zinc phosphate. A wash primer was formulated to replace the dangerous practice of pre-treating aluminium aircraft bodies with a phosphoric acid solution. This used zinc tetroxychromate dispersed in a solution of polyvinyl butyral. An 8% solution of phosphoric acid in solvent was added just before application. It was found that an easily oxidized alcohol was an essential ingredient. A thin layer of about 10–15 µm was applied, which turned from yellow to dark green when it was cured. There is still a question as to the correct mechanism. Chrome green is a mixture of Prussian blue and chrome yellow, while the chrome oxide green is chromium(III) oxide.


title: Chromium

text: Chromium oxides are also used as a green pigment in the field of glassmaking and also as a glaze for ceramics. Green chromium oxide is extremely lightfast and as such is used in cladding coatings. It is also the main ingredient in infrared reflecting paints, used by the armed forces to paint vehicles and to give them the same infrared reflectance as green leaves.


title: Chromium

text: Chromium(III) ions present in corundum crystals (aluminium oxide) cause them to be colored red; when corundum appears as such, it is known as a ruby. If the corundum is lacking in chromium(III) ions, it is known as a sapphire. A red-colored artificial ruby may also be achieved by doping chromium(III) into artificial corundum crystals, thus making chromium a requirement for making synthetic rubies. Such a synthetic ruby crystal was the basis for the first laser, produced in 1960, which relied on stimulated emission of light from the chromium atoms in such a crystal. Ruby has a laser transition at 694.3 nanometers, in a deep red color.


title: Chromium

text: Because of their toxicity, chromium(VI) salts are used for the preservation of wood. For example, chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is used in timber treatment to protect wood from decay fungi, wood-attacking insects, including termites, and marine borers. The formulations contain chromium based on the oxide CrO between 35.3% and 65.5%. In the United States, 65,300 metric tons of CCA solution were used in 1996.


title: Chromium

text: Chromium(III) salts, especially chrome alum and chromium(III) sulfate, are used in the tanning of leather. The chromium(III) stabilizes the leather by cross linking the collagen fibers. Chromium tanned leather can contain between 4 and 5% of chromium, which is tightly bound to the proteins. Although the form of chromium used for tanning is not the toxic hexavalent variety, there remains interest in management of chromium in the tanning industry. Recovery and reuse, direct/indirect recycling, and "chrome-less" or "chrome-free" tanning are practiced to better manage chromium usage.


title: Chromium

text: The high heat resistivity and high melting point makes chromite and chromium(III) oxide a material for high temperature refractory applications, like blast furnaces, cement kilns, molds for the firing of bricks and as foundry sands for the casting of metals. In these applications, the refractory materials are made from mixtures of chromite and magnesite. The use is declining because of the environmental regulations due to the possibility of the formation of chromium(VI).


title: Chromium

text: Several chromium compounds are used as catalysts for processing hydrocarbons. For example, the Phillips catalyst, prepared from chromium oxides, is used for the production of about half the world's polyethylene. Fe-Cr mixed oxides are employed as high-temperature catalysts for the water gas shift reaction. Copper chromite is a useful hydrogenation catalyst.


title: Chromium

text: The biologically beneficial effects of chromium(III) are debated. Chromium is accepted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health as a trace element for its roles in the action of insulin, a hormone that mediates the metabolism and storage of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. The mechanism of its actions in the body, however, have not been defined, leaving in question the essentiality of chromium.


title: Chromium

text: In contrast, hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI) or Cr) is highly toxic and mutagenic. Ingestion of chromium(VI) in water has been linked to stomach tumors, and it may also cause allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).


title: Chromium

text: "Chromium deficiency", involving a lack of Cr(III) in the body, or perhaps some complex of it, such as glucose tolerance factor, is controversial. Some studies suggest that the biologically active form of chromium (III) is transported in the body via an oligopeptide called low-molecular-weight chromium-binding substance (LMWCr), which might play a role in the insulin signaling pathway.


title: Chromium

text: The chromium content of common foods is generally low (1-13 micrograms per serving). The chromium content of food varies widely, due to differences in soil mineral content, growing season, plant cultivar, and contamination during processing. Chromium (and nickel) leach into food cooked in stainless steel, with the effect being largest when the cookware is new. Acidic foods that are cooked for many hours also exacerbate this effect.


title: Chromium

text: There is disagreement on chromium's status as an essential nutrient. Governmental departments from Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, and the United States consider chromium essential while the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) of the European Union does not.


title: Chromium

text: The U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM) updated the Estimated Average Requirements (EARs) and the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for chromium in 2001. For chromium, there was insufficient information to set EARs and RDAs, so its needs are described as estimates for Adequate Intakes (AIs). The current AIs of chromium for women ages 14 through 50 is 25 μg/day, and the AIs for women ages 50 and above is 20 μg/day. The AIs for women who are pregnant are 30 μg/day, and for women who are lactating, the set AIs are 45 μg/day. The AIs for men ages 14 through 50 are 35 μg/day, and the AIs for men ages 50 and above are 30 μg/day. For children ages 1 through 13, the AIs increase with age from 0.2 μg/day up to 25 μg/day. As for safety, the NAM sets Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) for vitamins and minerals when the evidence is sufficient. In the case of chromium, there is not yet enough information, hence no UL has been established. Collectively, the EARs, RDAs, AIs, and ULs are the parameters for the nutrition recommendation system known as Dietary Reference Intake (DRI). Australia and New Zealand consider chromium to be an essential nutrient, with an AI of 35 μg/day for men, 25 μg/day for women, 30 μg/day for women who are pregnant, and 45 μg/day for women who are lactating. A UL has not been set due to the lack of sufficient data. India considers chromium to be an essential nutrient, with an adult recommended intake of 33 μg/day. Japan also considers chromium to be an essential nutrient, with an AI of 10 μg/day for adults, including women who are pregnant or lactating. A UL has not been set. The EFSA of the European Union however, does not consider chromium to be an essential nutrient; chromium is the only mineral for which the United States and the European Union disagree.


title: Chromium

text: For U.S. food and dietary supplement labeling purposes, the amount of the substance in a serving is expressed as a percent of the Daily Value (%DV). For chromium labeling purposes, 100% of the Daily Value was 120 μg. As of May 27, 2016, the percentage of daily value was revised to 35 μg to bring the chromium intake into a consensus with the official Recommended Dietary Allowance. A table of the old and new adult daily values is provided at Reference Daily Intake.


title: Chromium

text: Food composition databases such as those maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture do not contain information on the chromium content of foods. A wide variety of animal and vegetable foods contain chromium. Content per serving is influenced by the chromium content of the soil in which the plants are grown, by foodstuffs fed to animals, and by processing methods, as chromium is leached into foods if processed or cooked in stainless steel equipment. One diet analysis study conducted in Mexico reported an average daily chromium intake of 30 micrograms. An estimated 31% of adults in the United States consume multi-vitamin/mineral dietary supplements, which often contain 25 to 60 micrograms of chromium.


title: Chromium

text: Chromium is an ingredient in total parenteral nutrition (TPN), because deficiency can occur after months of intravenous feeding with chromium-free TPN. It is also added to nutritional products for preterm infants. Although the mechanism of action in biological roles for chromium is unclear, in the United States chromium-containing products are sold as non-prescription dietary supplements in amounts ranging from 50 to 1,000 μg. Lower amounts of chromium are also often incorporated into multi-vitamin/mineral supplements consumed by an estimated 31% of adults in the United States. Chemical compounds used in dietary supplements include chromium chloride, chromium citrate, chromium(III) picolinate, chromium(III) polynicotinate, and other chemical compositions. The benefit of supplements has not been proven.


title: Chromium

text: In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved a qualified health claim for chromium picolinate with a requirement for very specific label wording: "One small study suggests that chromium picolinate may reduce the risk of insulin resistance, and therefore possibly may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. FDA concludes, however, that the existence of such a relationship between chromium picolinate and either insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes is highly uncertain." At the same time, in answer to other parts of the petition, the FDA rejected claims for chromium picolinate and cardiovascular disease, retinopathy or kidney disease caused by abnormally high blood sugar levels. In 2010, chromium(III) picolinate was approved by Health Canada to be used in dietary supplements. Approved labeling statements include: a factor in the maintenance of good health, provides support for healthy glucose metabolism, helps the body to metabolize carbohydrates and helps the body to metabolize fats. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approved claims in 2010 that chromium contributed to normal macronutrient metabolism and maintenance of normal blood glucose concentration, but rejected claims for maintenance or achievement of a normal body weight, or reduction of tiredness or fatigue.


title: Chromium

text: Given the evidence for chromium deficiency causing problems with glucose management in the context of intravenous nutrition products formulated without chromium, research interest turned to whether chromium supplementation would benefit people who have type 2 diabetes but are not chromium deficient. Looking at the results from four meta-analyses, one reported a statistically significant decrease in fasting plasma glucose levels (FPG) and a non-significant trend in lower hemoglobin A1C. A second reported the same, a third reported significant decreases for both measures, while a fourth reported no benefit for either. A review published in 2016 listed 53 randomized clinical trials that were included in one or more of six meta-analyses. It concluded that whereas there may be modest decreases in FPG and/or HbA1C that achieve statistical significance in some of these meta-analyses, few of the trials achieved decreases large enough to be expected to be relevant to clinical outcome.


title: Chromium

text: Two systematic reviews looked at chromium supplements as a mean of managing body weight in overweight and obese people. One, limited to chromium picolinate, a popular supplement ingredient, reported a statistically significant −1.1 kg (2.4 lb) weight loss in trials longer than 12 weeks. The other included all chromium compounds and reported a statistically significant −0.50 kg (1.1 lb) weight change. Change in percent body fat did not reach statistical significance. Authors of both reviews considered the clinical relevance of this modest weight loss as uncertain/unreliable. The European Food Safety Authority reviewed the literature and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support a claim.


title: Chromium

text: Chromium is promoted as a sports performance dietary supplement, based on the theory that it potentiates insulin activity, with anticipated results of increased muscle mass, and faster recovery of glycogen storage during post-exercise recovery. A review of clinical trials reported that chromium supplementation did not improve exercise performance or increase muscle strength. The International Olympic Committee reviewed dietary supplements for high-performance athletes in 2018 and concluded there was no need to increase chromium intake for athletes, nor support for claims of losing body fat.


title: Chromium

text: Chromium is naturally present in the environment in trace amounts, but industrial use in rubber and stainless steel manufacturing, chrome plating, dyes for textiles, tanneries and other uses contaminates aquatic systems. In Bangladesh, rivers in or downstream from industrialized areas exhibit heavy metal contamination. Irrigation water standards for chromium are 0.1 mg/L, but some rivers are more than five times that amount. The standard for fish for human consumption is less than 1 mg/kg, but many tested samples were more than five times that amount. Chromium, especially hexavalent chromium, is highly toxic to fish because it is easily absorbed across the gills, readily enters blood circulation, crosses cell membranes and bioconcentrates up the food chain. In contrast, the toxicity of trivalent chromium is very low, attributed to poor membrane permeability and little biomagnification.


title: Chromium

text: Acute and chronic exposure to chromium(VI) affects fish behavior, physiology, reproduction and survival. Hyperactivity and erratic swimming have been reported in contaminated environments. Egg hatching and fingerling survival are affected. In adult fish there are reports of histopathological damage to liver, kidney, muscle, intestines, and gills. Mechanisms include mutagenic gene damage and disruptions of enzyme functions.


title: Chromium

text: There is evidence that fish may not require chromium, but benefit from a measured amount in diet. In one study, juvenile fish gained weight on a zero chromium diet, but the addition of 500 μg of chromium in the form of chromium chloride or other supplement types, per kilogram of food (dry weight), increased weight gain. At 2,000 μg/kg the weight gain was no better than with the zero chromium diet, and there were increased DNA strand breaks.


title: Chromium

text: Water-insoluble chromium(III) compounds and chromium metal are not considered a health hazard, while the toxicity and carcinogenic properties of chromium(VI) have been known for a long time. Because of the specific transport mechanisms, only limited amounts of chromium(III) enter the cells. Acute oral toxicity ranges between 50 and 150 mg/kg. A 2008 review suggested that moderate uptake of chromium(III) through dietary supplements poses no genetic-toxic risk. In the US, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has designated an air permissible exposure limit (PEL) in the workplace as a time-weighted average (TWA) of 1 mg/m. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set a recommended exposure limit (REL) of 0.5 mg/m, time-weighted average. The IDLH (immediately dangerous to life and health) value is 250 mg/m.


title: Chromium

text: The acute oral toxicity for chromium(VI) ranges between 1.5 and 3.3 mg/kg. In the body, chromium(VI) is reduced by several mechanisms to chromium(III) already in the blood before it enters the cells. The chromium(III) is excreted from the body, whereas the chromate ion is transferred into the cell by a transport mechanism, by which also sulfate and phosphate ions enter the cell. The acute toxicity of chromium(VI) is due to its strong oxidant properties. After it reaches the blood stream, it damages the kidneys, the liver and blood cells through oxidation reactions. Hemolysis, renal, and liver failure result. Aggressive dialysis can be therapeutic.


title: Chromium

text: The carcinogenity of chromate dust has been known for a long time, and in 1890 the first publication described the elevated cancer risk of workers in a chromate dye company. Three mechanisms have been proposed to describe the genotoxicity of chromium(VI). The first mechanism includes highly reactive hydroxyl radicals and other reactive radicals which are by products of the reduction of chromium(VI) to chromium(III). The second process includes the direct binding of chromium(V), produced by reduction in the cell, and chromium(IV) compounds to the DNA. The last mechanism attributed the genotoxicity to the binding to the DNA of the end product of the chromium(III) reduction.


title: Chromium

text: Chromium salts (chromates) are also the cause of allergic reactions in some people. Chromates are often used to manufacture, amongst other things, leather products, paints, cement, mortar and anti-corrosives. Contact with products containing chromates can lead to allergic contact dermatitis and irritant dermatitis, resulting in ulceration of the skin, sometimes referred to as "chrome ulcers". This condition is often found in workers that have been exposed to strong chromate solutions in electroplating, tanning and chrome-producing manufacturers.


title: Chromium

text: Because chromium compounds were used in dyes, paints, and leather tanning compounds, these compounds are often found in soil and groundwater at active and abandoned industrial sites, needing environmental cleanup and remediation. Primer paint containing hexavalent chromium is still widely used for aerospace and automobile refinishing applications.


title: Chromium

text: In 2010, the Environmental Working Group studied the drinking water in 35 American cities in the first nationwide study. The study found measurable hexavalent chromium in the tap water of 31 of the cities sampled, with Norman, Oklahoma, at the top of list; 25 cities had levels that exceeded California's proposed limit.


title: Chromium

text: The more toxic hexavalent chromium form can be reduced to the less soluble trivalent oxidation state in soils by organic matter, ferrous iron, sulfides, and other reducing agents, with the rates of such reduction being faster under more acidic conditions than under more alkaline ones. In contrast, trivalent chromium can be oxidized to hexavalent chromium in soils by manganese oxides, such as Mn(III) and Mn(IV) compounds. Since the solubility and toxicity of chromium (VI) are greater that those of chromium (III), the oxidation-reduction conversions between the two oxidation states have implications for movement and bioavailability of chromium in soils, groundwater, and plants.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid Group, Inc. is an American electric vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Newark, California. The company was founded in 2007. Deliveries of the Dream Edition launch versions were made available to the first group of 520 reservation holders on October 30, 2021.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid was founded in 2007 under the name Atieva and originally focused on building electric vehicle batteries and powertrains for other vehicle manufacturers.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid's CEO and CTO, Peter Rawlinson, formerly served as VP of Engineering and Chief Engineer of the Model S at Tesla, Inc., and Vice President Derek Jenkins previously worked as Head of Design at Mazda North American Operations. The company has seen investments from Tsing Capital, Mitsui, Venrock, JAFCO, and others.


title: Lucid Motors

text: The company rebranded to Lucid Motors in October 2016 and officially announced its intent to develop an all-electric, high-performance luxury vehicle.


title: Lucid Motors

text: On November 29, 2016, state and company officials announced the planned construction of Lucid's US$700 million manufacturing plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, which was projected to employ up to 2,000 workers by the mid-2020s, initially building 20,000 cars and expanding up to 130,000 cars per year. The factory was then to be designed to support a maximum capacity of 380,000 cars per year. , the company had planned to break ground in 2017, and have cars in production by early 2019. The first vehicles began rolling off the assembly line on September 28, 2021.


title: Lucid Motors

text: On September 17, 2018, Lucid Motors announced that they were in talks with the Public Investment Fund, which is the Saudi Arabian sovereign investment fund, for funding valued at over US$1 billion. The investment was completed in April 2019. The investment will fund: the final engineering and testing of the Lucid Air model; the first-phase construction of its manufacturing plant in Casa Grande, Arizona; the commercial production of the Lucid Air; and Lucid's worldwide retail strategy, beginning in North America. Construction of the plant began in late 2019, the first-phase was completed in December 2020. The second-phase construction is ongoing and will increase production capacity from 34,000 to 90,000 vehicles a year. The completed factory (4 phases) will have a combined manufacturing capacity of about 400,000 cars per year.


title: Lucid Motors

text: In February 2021, Lucid Motors announced a deal valued at US$11.75 billion to merge with Churchill Capital Corp IV, a publicly traded special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). CEO Rawlinson announced Lucid's intention to produce its Project Gravity SUV by 2023, then offer a competitor to Tesla's Model 3 by 2024 or 2025.


title: Lucid Motors

text: In July 2021, "The Wall Street Journal" reported that the Public Investment Fund will own over 60 percent of Lucid when the company goes public. The fund will record a profit of nearly US$20 billion from its investment in Lucid in 2018.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid began building its first all-electric Air sedans in Arizona in September 2021 and started delivering them to customers in late October.


title: Lucid Motors

text: On February 28, 2022, Lucid decreased its 2022 production outlook from 20,000 vehicles to 12,000–14,000 vehicles, citing supply chain issues.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid mainly developed battery technology in its early years, but began development of its first car in 2014.


title: Lucid Motors

text: A prototype of the Lucid Air fully electric car was unveiled in December 2016. Lucid Air production was expected to start in spring 2021. In November 2020, The Lucid Air Pure was announced with of projected range and and a starting price of US$77,400. The full range of models includes Lucid Air Touring, Grand Touring, and Dream Edition versions. The top spec cars have an output of over .


title: Lucid Motors

text: On September 16, 2020, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rated the range of the Lucid Air to be on a single charge.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid has agreed with Mobileye to use their EyeQ4 chips and eight cameras for driver assist features, and will make the car "autonomous ready". This 4-door sedan is able to reach a software-limited top speed of . In July 2017, running on the high-speed track at the Transportation Research Center in Ohio, a special version of the car (with the speed limiter disabled via software and other modifications) hit .


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid is collaborating with Amazon to build in compatibility with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, allowing drivers to use the voice assistant for navigation, phone calls, media streaming, smart home control, and other activities while driving.


title: Lucid Motors

text: A Lucid Air is used by the character of Samantha Margolis in several episodes of season four of the Amazon Studios TV series "Goliath".


title: Lucid Motors

text: In September 2021, Lucid released the EPA estimated range for both the Dream Edition Air and Air Grand Touring; the Dream Air had a range of 520 miles on a single charge while the Grand Touring offered 516 miles, making the Dream the longest range of any EV rated by the EPA and the Grand Touring the first to top 400 miles in a test drive.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid Motors unveiled its 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring model in November 2021. This version of the Air Grand Touring is powered by two electric motors that combine for and of torque.


title: Lucid Motors

text: On May 5, 2022, Lucid announced that it was raising prices of the variants of its luxury Air sedan, beginning June 1, 2022. The price hikes were expected to push the base price of the Air sedan up as much as 13%.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid Air was named "Motor Trend’s" 2022 Car of the Year, being the first time a brand new car model won the award.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid teased an electric SUV concept in September 2020 called Project Gravity with only a brief image and short video segment. Additional details were found in the patents that Lucid filed for the Gravity. The patents show that the Gravity features sleek headlamps similar to those of the Lucid Air as well as a visibly short hood and a large windscreen. In addition, the patents show that the side of the vehicle has a horizontal beltline as well as a sleek, wide windows, and quarter glass panels.


title: Lucid Motors

text: The Lucid Air will debut with a 900V+ electrical architecture, and custom lithium-ion battery cells. Lucid's car uses the 2170 standard for its lithium-ion battery cells, and supply agreements have been signed with both Samsung SDI and LG Chem.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid designs, develops, manufactures, and supplies battery packs for gen2 Formula E race teams beginning in the 2018-2019 season thru the 2021-2022 racing season, in collaboration with McLaren Applied Technologies and Sony. The Formula E specification calls for a battery weight of , 54 kWh energy, and peak power of up to 250 kW.


title: Lucid Motors

text: Lucid Motors partnered with Electrify America to use their nationwide charging network as an option for recharging Lucid's electric vehicles on the road. The Lucid Air will be able to add in 20 minutes when using the station's 350 kW charging capability.


title: Lucid Motors

text: In December 2019, Lucid broke ground on a factory in Casa Grande, Arizona, the first greenfield facility for EV manufacturing in the United States. On December 1, 2020, Lucid completed factory construction, dubbed AMP-1, and "aims to ramp up to 400,000 electric cars per year."


title: Lucid Motors

text: The US$700 million facility was expected to begin producing the Lucid Air by spring 2021. The initial phase includes an initial . Phase 2 of construction was expected to begin in early 2021. The land upon which this facility is built is owned by Pinal County, Arizona, who leases the plot to Lucid. The land was bought by Pinal County for $29.94 million, which was financed by issuing bonds.


title: Lucid Motors

text: On February 28, 2022, Lucid announced a long-term plan to build a new manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia with the capability of producing 150,000 vehicles per year. Lucid has partnered with the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA), The Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF), and the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).


title: Lucid Motors

text: On, 27 April 2022, Government of Saudi Arabia announced to purchase a minimum of 50,000 electric vehicles and up to 100,000 electric vehicles from Lucid Motors over a ten-year period. The Saudi government said the decision was in line with efforts to make its fleet more environmentally friendly and diversify the national economy away from oil. Lucid was selected, the government said, because the company is setting up a full production factory in Saudi Arabia—its first international manufacturing plant, which is aiming to produce 150,000 cars annually.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: sports club based in the Núñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Founded in 1901, the club is named after the English name for the city's estuary, Río de la Plata. Although many sports are practiced at the club, River Plate is best known for its professional football team, which has won Argentina's Primera División championship a record of 37 times, its latest title in 2021. Domestic achievements also include 14 national cups, with the 2021 Trofeo de Campeones as the most recent, making River Plate the country's most successful team in domestic competitions with a total of 51 top-division titles.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: At international level, River Plate has won 18 titles, with 12 organised by CONMEBOL and other international bodies. River Plate's official international achievements include four Copa Libertadores, one Intercontinental Cup, one Supercopa Sudamericana, one Copa Sudamericana, three Recopa Sudamericana, one Copa Interamericana and one Suruga Bank Championship. Furthermore, the club has also won six tournaments organized by AFA and AUF together: five Copa Dr. Ricardo Aldao, and one Tie Cup. In addition, River Plate's reserve team won the U-20 Copa Libertadores in 2012. River Plate is the first and only team to simultaneously hold CONMEBOL's three current major international competitions, after winning the 2014 Copa Sudamericana, 2015 Recopa Sudamericana and the 2015 Copa Libertadores.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: In a survey published by the Argentine Football Association in 2016, 6 out of 11 players in the all-time Argentina national squad had played for River Plate. The club placed ninth in the FIFA Club of the Century poll in December 2000, and in 2010, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics also placed River Plate in ninth place in a list of the best teams in the world during the 1990s and 2000s, ranking as the top South American club. Among other achievements, River Plate is at the top of the list in the All-time Argentine Primera División table, being the Argentine team with most games won, fewest losses, most points accumulated, most goals scored, fewest goals against and best goal difference since the first championship held in 1891, and is first in the Historical table of the Copa Libertadores, being the South American team with most games won.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: River has a fierce rivalry with Boca Juniors. Matches between them are known as "Superclásico", and the two teams' rivalry is amongst the most heated in the sport, due to their local and global popularity. River's home stadium, the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, nicknamed "El Monumental", is the largest in the country. Apart from football, the club hosts a large variety of sports such as athletics, basque pelota, bowls, chess, basketball, handball, cestoball, gymnastics, field hockey, karate, roller hockey, roller skating, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, waterpolo, and eSports.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: According with the club's official version, River Plate was founded on 25 May 1901, close to the La Boca neighborhood (later the home of fierce rivals Boca Juniors). The institution was formed after the merger of two clubs, "Santa Rosa" and "La Rosales", with Leopoldo Bard being elected as its first president. The name was chosen because of an incident during the construction of Buenos Aires Port: one of the members had seen how the workers of Dique nº 3 left their duties for a while to play a football match. The boxes they were working with just said "The River Plate" (the name the English gave to the Río de la Plata) and that inscription was taken to name the new club.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: River Plate affiliated to the Argentine Football Association in 1905, debuting in the third division against Facultad de Medicina. On 13 December 1908, the team was promoted to first division after beating Racing Club 2–1. However, the match was declared null due to River supporters jumping onto the field to celebrate with the players, so a new match had to be played. River again won, this time 7–0, to achieve promotion.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: In 1914 River won its first domestic championship, the Copa de Competencia Jockey Club and its first international title, the Copa de Competencia Chevallier Boutell. The nickname "Los Millonarios" came after the acquisition of winger Carlos Peucelle in 1931 for $10,000 and Bernabé Ferreyra for $35,000 (Large sum of money for the period) in 1932.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: In the following years, River Plate consolidated its place as one of the most popular teams of Argentina, and the 20th century brought much success. The club's record of 28 official tournaments saw them dubbed "El Campeón del Siglo" (The Champions of the Century).


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Adidas has been River Plate's uniform supplier since 1982, becoming one of the company's largest sponsorship deals in the world, only behind German club Bayern Munich. The US$60 million partnership with the German sports company signed in 2015 (extending the deal to 2021) marked the most expensive kit agreement in the history of Argentine football.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: As in many football shirts and sports in general, the team's jersey has a badge on its front, as a symbol of the institution. When the River Plate jersey was created it did not have a badge, and its presence varied throughout the history, according to the designs of each era. Currently it is embroidered on the jersey, with three colors (red, white and black). Its format resembles that of the jersey, as it has a red stripe that crosses it, along with the acronym of the club (CARP) in black, and the background is white, in a stylized design.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: When Hugo Santilli became chairman in 1984, he soon called to a competition where a new emblem would be chosen. The main objective of this new image was to eradicate the nickname "Gallinas (Chicken)" that River's rivals (Boca Juniors fans mainly) used to mock them. Artists from Argentina took part in that competition. The club finally chose a logo designed by the artist Caloi. This emblem showed the figure of a lion (wearing a River jersey) rising from the Monumental stadium. The lion logo was immediately added to the uniforms (on the field and training clothes) having River Plate won the Copa Libertadores de América and European/South American Cup using the lion logo. In 1989, when Santilli left the club so the lion went with him and has not been reestablished since.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: In February 2022, River Plate launched its new corporate image, which included an update to the logo and a typography designed exclusively for the club. The corporate image was created and developed by "Grupo Berro", a branding and design studio that had been working on the corporate image for over two years.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: River Plate and Boca Juniors are the two largest football clubs in Argentina, with more than half the country's football fans supporting the clubs. Due to the rivalry between them, the Boca Juniors vs River Plate "Superclásico" local derby match was listed by the BBC as one of the most famous derbies in the world. It was also acclaimed in 2004 as the number one of the "Fifty sporting things you must do before you die" by "The Observer" newspaper.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The "River Plate" name was chosen in 1901, when the team was still located at the La Boca neighbourhood, next to the Río de la Plata ("River Plate" in some English sources). Proposed names as "Club Atlético Forward", "Juventud Boquense" or "La Rosales" had been rejected. Pedro Martínez saw the name "The River Plate" written at ship containers, and proposed it as a name, which was finally accepted as the official name.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: River fans and the press are fond of the nickname "Los Millonarios" (The Millionaires). This name derives from the 1930s after some expensive transfers of players from other clubs, including Carlos Peucelle from Sportivo Buenos Aires in 1931 and Bernabé Ferreyra from Tigre in 1932.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Due to the red band in their shirt, it is also common to refer to River as "El Equipo de la Banda" (the team with the band) or simply "La Banda" (which means "the stripe", but can also mean "the band" -both as in "gang" and "musical group"). River Plate's forwards between 1941 and 1946 were given the nickname "La Máquina" (The Machine), due to their synchronization and movements on the field.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: There was also a River Plate team that was known as "La Maquinita" (The Little Machine, as tribute to its predecessor) in the 1950s. Managed by José María Minella, the team earned the nickname after winning five championships in six years (1952–57). Some notable players were Alfredo Di Stéfano, Santiago Vernazza, Walter Gómez, Enrique Omar Sívori, among others. Some members of the original "Máquina" of the 1940s such as Labruna and Loustau, were also part of the team.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The Estadio Antonio Liberti (nicknamed "El Monumental") placed in Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires is River Plate's stadium. With a capacity of 65,645, it was inaugurated on 25 May 1938. The Argentina national football team usually plays its home games at the stadium.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: In a research from a European sport marketing agency about the football teams with more members in the world, River Plate is in the sixth position, with 123,000 members, the highest in the Americas. The ranking is led by Barcelona of Spain and Benfica of Portugal. In a ranking made in 2018 by the Bundesliga about the football clubs with more members, River Plate appears in the sixth position with 146,000 members, surpassing clubs like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid CF and Manchester United F.C. among other football world powers.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: On 8 October 2012, "The world's longest football flag" was unveiled in a caravan in which approximately 15,000 supporters took part. It was made entirely by fans who carried the 7,830 meters flag along the streets of Buenos Aires. The away jersey of the 2012–13 season was the most sold throughout the world during the month of September 2012, an achievement that had not reached any Argentine team. In 2015, the club participated in the FIFA Club World Cup and played against Sanfrecce Hiroshima at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka on 16 December, and on 20 December in the final against FC Barcelona at the International Stadium Yokohama. The number of River Plate supporters who traveled to Japan during that period were between 15,000 and 20,000, a record in the competition.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: River Plate has official subsidiaries in provinces such as Santa Fe, Tucumán, Córdoba, Entre Ríos, Mendoza, Tierra del Fuego, Catamarca, among others, and in Spain, Mexico, Australia, the United States, Paraguay and Canada. There are also unofficial fan clubs in all Latin American countries, and also in Spain, Italy, England, Israel, Australia, Germany, the United States and New Zealand.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: From its creation in 1901 to the present, the lower divisions of River Plate have protagonized splendid moments in their categories.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The River Plate Academy is recognized on a continental and world level for the amount of talents that have emerged throughout it. River produced many of the best players in the history of football, including most of the institution's top idols. Its main objective is to supply players with great future to the first team and educate academically, ethically and athletically its members.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Two players who won the Ballon d'Or, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Omar Sívori, were born from ""El Semillero"".


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: River Plate players among the 50 best footballers in South America in the XX century according to IFFHS


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Marcelo Gallardo is the club's most successful manager of all-time, with thirteen titles. Gallardo (appointed in 2014) is the current manager and under his direction, River Plate has won most of its international championships. Domestic titles won include three Copa Argentina (2015–16, 2016–17 and 2018–19) and two Supercopa Argentina (2017, 2019). He has been specially successful in the international scene, having won two Copa Libertadores (2015, 2018), one Copa Sudamericana (2014), three Recopa Sudamericana (2015, 2016, 2019), and one Suruga Bank Championship (2015). Several of these championship wins included memorable victories against archrivals Boca Juniors.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Ramón Díaz had three tenures on River Plate (1995–2000, 2001–02, and 2012–14), being the club's most successful manager in the domestic scene, having achieved six Primera División titles (1996–97 Torneo Apertura, 1996–97 Torneo Clausura, 1997–98 Torneo Apertura, 1999–2000 Torneo Apertura, 2001–02 Torneo Clausura, 2013–14 Torneo Final) and one Copa Campeonato (2014); internationally, he won the Copa Libertadores (1996) and one Supercopa Libertadores (1997).


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: José María Minella was another notable manager with eight titles won with River Plate, seven Primera División championships (1945, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957) and one Copa Dr. Ricardo Aldao (1947).


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Ángel Labruna had an outstanding career not only as player (he is club's all-time topscorer with 293 goals in 515 matches played), but as coach for the club, having won six Primera División championships (1975 Torneo Metropolitano, 1975 Torneo Nacional, 1977 Torneo Metropolitano, 1979 Torneo Nacional, 1979 Torneo Metropolitano, and 1980 Torneo Metropolitano).


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Héctor Veira won the Copa Libertadores de América with River Plate, in 1986. That same year the team won the European/South American Cup played in Tokyo. Under his coaching the club also won the 1985–86 Argentine championship, totalizing three titles with River Plate.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The basketball team currently plays in the Torneo Federal de Básquetbol. In 1950, the first FIBA World Championship was played in Buenos Aires and Argentina claimed the gold medal with 3 River Plate players: Alberto López, Leopoldo Contarbio and Vito Liva. The club won a Campeonato Argentino title in 1983, and finished in the 2nd place in the Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes Campeones de Básquetbol in 1984.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The last edition of the Campeonato Argentino was held in that year, and River Plate was defeated in the finals, then playing at its successor competition, Liga Nacional de Básquetbol, between 1985–93 and 2004–06. The team reached the finals in 1988, and for the 1989 and 1990 seasons, Héctor Campana became the top scorer of the LNB, playing for River Plate. The team also achieved 2nd place in 2004 and 2005 editions of Copa Argentina. Since 2014, after eight years of absence in professional basketball, River Plate returned to national tournaments playing the CABB Federal Basketball Tournament.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The women's field hockey team is affiliated to the Buenos Aires Hockey Association (AHBA) and currently playing in Torneo Metropolitano A, the top division of regional hockey in Argentina.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: In 2016, the squad (nicknamed "Las Vikingas") won its first Metropolitano championship after beating Ciudad de Buenos Aires by 3–2 at the final.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: In 2017, "Las Vikingas" won their third consecutive Hockey National League after defeating Club Italiano by 2–0 at the final, thus becoming one of the two clubs with most titles at the national tournament.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Two players from River Plate, Lucina von der Heyde and Bianca Donati, who were Junior World Champions in Chile 2016, made their debut in a world cup in London 2018. Von der Heyde was named the FIH Rising Star of the Year.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The futsal team plays in the Argentine División de Honor. The team won three championships in 1991, 2002 and 2003, and two Copa Argentina de Futsal in 2016 and 2017. The team also achieved a third place in the Copa Libertadores de Futsal in 2013.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: River is one of the founding clubs of the Federación Metropolitana de Balonmano (Fe.Me.Bal.) and it is also the institution that won more championships in local history.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: All these titles have been obtained in the metropolitan and national levels, either in Metropolitan, Aperturas, Clausuras, Super 4 or Nacionales Tournaments, or the Federal League. The men's team won 32 domestic titles and the gold medal in the South American Men's Club Handball Championship in 1984. The team also achieved 2 Bronze medals in the same competition and 4 Bronze medals in the Pan American Men's Club Handball Championship. The women's team won 9 national titles, and the silver medal in the South American Women's Club Handball Championship in 1984 and the bronze medal in 1987.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The more prominent players in the club's history are Guillermo Till, Claudio Straffe, Freddy Ambrosini, Gabriel Canzoniero and Juan Ojea.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The current swimming team has its origins in 2003, after many years in which the Club Atlético River Plate had no representatives in the national championships of this discipline.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The draft to form the best team in the country was led by Professor Rodolfo Sacco and had the best results that had never been achieved in the institution. The team began to form from a contractual relationship with the swimmer José Meolans, one of the Argentine swimmers with most titles won.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Many high-level swimmers, trained in other institutions began to approach to be part of what would be the best team in the country for the coming years.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Other swimmers from River Plate who represented Argentina in the Olympics include Meolans himself, Georgina Bardach, Eduardo Germán Otero, Walter Arciprete, Agustín Fiorilli, María del Pilar Pereyra, Juan Pereyra, Damián Blaum, Javiera Salcedo, Pablo Martín Abal, Cecilia Biagioli.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Tennis is a sport practiced in River Plate since 1923. Currently, River Plate counts with 10 clay courts and one hard court. As in other disciplines, the Club stands out for its large number of teams participating in the official tournaments organized by the Asociación Argentina de Tenis, as well as having important activities and competitions for the development of this sport in the country.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: Gabriela Sabatini, who is considered the best Argentine women's tennis player in history and an icon in national women's sport, began practicing at River at age 6, under the direction of Professor Daniel Fidalgo, with whom she trained for seven years. When she was 12 years old, she participated in the Mundialito Infantil de Caracas, winning the competition, and ratifying once again the talent she had already shown during his participation in metropolitan and national children's tournaments.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: River Plate Women's division reached the national title four times, being one of the top champions of the league and the first to be champion three consecutive times (2005 to 2007).


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The men's volleyball team won the Liga Argentina de Voleibol in the 1998–99 season with the Brazilians Jefferson, Marcos Dreyer, and the nationals Marcelo Román, Diego Gutiérrez and Luis Gálvez and the Súper 4 in 2003. The team also won 8 Metropolitan Leagues between 1956 and 2011.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: The River Plate women's football team plays in the Campeonato de Fútbol Femenino and have won the championship 11 times of which five were in succession from 1993 to 1997. The team achieved the third place in the 2017 Copa Libertadores Femenina.


title: Club Atlético River Plate

text: In addition to the mentioned sports, River Plate's sections include artistic gymnastics, artistic roller skating, athletics, basque pelota, boxing, bowls, chess, karate, rhythmic gymnastics, roller hockey, taekwondo, table tennis and waterpolo.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, founded after the Iranian Revolution on 22 April 1979 by order of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Whereas the Iranian Army defends Iranian borders and maintains internal order, according to the Iranian constitution, the Revolutionary Guard is intended to protect the country's Islamic republic political system, which supporters believe includes preventing foreign interference and coups by the military or "deviant movements". The IRGC is designated as a terrorist organization by the governments of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United States.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: As of 2011, the Revolutionary Guards had at least 250,000 military personnel including ground, aerospace and naval forces. Its naval forces are now the primary forces tasked with operational control of the Persian Gulf. It also controls the paramilitary Basij militia which has about 90,000 active personnel. Its media arm is Sepah News. On 16 March 2022, it adopted a new independent branch called the "Command for the Protection and Security of Nuclear Centers."


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Since its origin as an ideologically driven militia, the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution has taken a greater role in nearly every aspect of Iranian society. "Reuters" opined in 2019 that "It is also an industrial empire with political clout." Its expanded social, political, military and economic role under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration—especially during the 2009 presidential election and post-election suppression of protest—has led many Western analysts to argue that its political power has surpassed even that of the country's Shia clerical system.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The Chief Commander of the Guardians since 2019 is Hossein Salami, who was preceded by Mohammad Ali Jafari and Yahya Rahim Safavi respectively from 2007 and 1997.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Government organizations in Iran are commonly known by one-word names (that generally denote their function) rather than acronyms or shortened versions, and the general populace universally refers to the IRGC as Sepâh (). "Sepâh" has a historical connotation of soldiers, while in modern Persian it is also used to describe a corps-sized unit – in modern Persian "Artesh" () is the more standard term for an army.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Pâsdârân () is the plural form of Pâsdâr (), meaning "Guardian", and members of Sepah are known as "Pāsdār", which is also their title and comes after their rank.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Apart from the name "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps", the Iranian Government, media, and those who identify with the organization generally use Sepāh-e Pâsdârân (Army of the Guardians), although it is not uncommon to hear Pâsdârân-e Enghelâb () (Guardians of the Revolution), or simply Pâsdârân () (Guardians) as well. Among the Iranian population, and especially among diaspora Iranians, using the word "Pasdaran" indicates hatred or admiration for the organization.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Most foreign governments and the English-speaking mass media tend to use the term Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG) or simply the Revolutionary Guards. In the US media, the force is frequently referred to interchangeably as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The US government standard is "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps", while the United Nations uses "Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps".


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The force's main role is in national security. It is responsible for internal and border security, law enforcement, and also Iran's missile forces. IRGC operations are geared towards asymmetric warfare and less traditional duties. These include the control of smuggling, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and resistance operations. The IRGC is intended to complement the more traditional role of the regular Iranian military, with the two forces operating separately and focusing on different operational roles.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The IRGC is a combined arms force with its own ground forces, navy, air force, intelligence, and special forces. It also controls the Basij militia. The Basij is a volunteer-based force, with 90,000 regular soldiers and 300,000 reservists. The IRGC is officially recognized as a component of the Iranian military under Article 150 of the Iranian Constitution. It is separate from, and parallel to, the other arm of Iran's military, which is called Artesh (another Persian word for an army). Especially in the waters of the Persian Gulf, the IRGC is expected to assume control of any Iranian response to attacks on its nuclear facilities.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The IRGC was formed on 5 May 1979 following the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in an effort to consolidate several paramilitary forces into a single force loyal to the new government and to function as a counter to the influence and power of the regular military, initially seen as a potential source of opposition because of its traditional loyalty to the Shah. From the beginning of the new Islamic government, the Pasdaran (Pasdaran-e Enghelab-e Islami) functioned as a corps of the faithful. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic entrusted the defense of Iran's territorial integrity and political independence to the regular military ("artesh"), while it gave the Pasdaran the responsibility of preserving the Revolution itself.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Days after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's return to Tehran on 1 February 1979, Mehdi Bazargan's interim administration established the Pasdaran under a decree issued by Khomeini on 5 May. The Pasdaran was intended to protect the Revolution and to assist the ruling clerics in the day-to-day enforcement of the new government's Islamic codes and morality. There were other, perhaps more important, reasons for establishing the Pasdaran. The Revolution needed to rely on a force of its own rather than borrowing the previous regime's tainted units. As one of the first revolutionary institutions, the Pasdaran helped legitimize the Revolution and gave the new government an armed basis of support. Moreover, the establishment of the Pasdaran served notice to both the population and the regular armed forces that the Khomeini government was quickly developing its own enforcement body.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Thus, the Pasdaran, along with its political counterpart, Crusade for Reconstruction, brought a new order to Iran. In time, the Pasdaran would rival the police and the judiciary in terms of its functions.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Although the IRGC operated independently of the regular armed forces, it was often considered to be a military force in its own right due to its important role in Iranian defense. The IRGC consists of ground, naval, and aviation troops, which parallel the structure of the regular military. The Pasdaran was "given control of Iran’s ballistic missile program in both missile employment and development.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Also contained under the umbrella of the more conventional Pasdaran, were the Basij Forces (Mobilization Resistance Force), a network of potentially up to a million active individuals who could be called upon in times of need. The Basij could be committed to assist in the defense of the country against internal or external threats, but by 2008 had also been deployed in mobilizing voters in elections and alleged tampering during such activities. Another element was the Quds Force, a special forces element tasked with unconventional warfare roles and known to be involved in providing assistance and training to various militant organizations around the world.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The Pasdaran is closely associated with Supreme Leader Khomeini who came to power in 1989, and used the Pasdaran to build support, reportedly he reaching "far down into the ranks and appointed new colonels and brigadiers. 'Khamenei micromanages the whole system, so everyone is loyal to him, He is hyperactive. He knows every low-ranking commander and even the names of their children”, according to ' Mehdi Khalaji, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The Basij and Pasdaran were instrumental in crushing the Green Movement, and this power gave them political supremecy in Iran. According to at least one source (Abbas Milani, the director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford), the regime “clearly ... believed it was going to lose control, and the IRGC and the Basij saved the day. The result is that the IRGC now has the upper hand. Khamenei knows that without the IRGC he’d be out of a job in twenty-four hours.”


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Yahya Rahim Safavi, head of the IRGC since 1997, was dismissed as commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards in August 2007. The dismissal of Safavi disrupted the balance of power in Iran to the advantage of conservatives. Analysis in the international press considered the removal of Safavi to be a sign of change in the defense strategies of Iran, but the general policies of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps are not personally determined by its commander.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Iran's top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was assassinated in Tehran, Iran on 27 November 2020. Fakhrizadeh was believed to be the primary force behind Iran's covert nuclear program for many decades. The New York Times reported that Israel's Mossad was behind that attack and that Mick Mulroy, the former Deputy Defense Secretary for the Middle East said the death of Fakhirizadeh was "a setback to Iran’s nuclear program" and he was also a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and that "will magnify Iran’s desire to respond by force."


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: In late July 2008 reports originating that the IRGC was in the process of dramatically changing its structure. In a shake-up, in September 2008 Iran's Revolutionary Guards established 31 divisions and an autonomous missile command. The new structure changes the IRGC from a centralized to a decentralized force with 31 provincial corps, whose commanders wield extensive authority and power. According to the plan, each of Iran's thirty provinces will have a provincial corps, except Tehran Province, which will have two.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The Basij is a paramilitary volunteer militia or "plainclothes militia" founded by the order of the Ayatollah Khomeini in November 1979. On November 4, 1979, in an address to the Revolutionary Guards during the Iran hostage crisis, Khomeini ordered the creation of an army of "twenty million Iranians" ("Artesh-e bis million"), proclaiming:


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: "Equip yourself, get military training and train your friends. Give military training to those who are not trained. In an Islamic country, everyone should be a soldier and have military training. ... a country with 20 million young people [should have] 20 million riflemen, an army of 20 million" This pronouncement and Article 151 of the constitution, which calls for the government to “provide a program of military training, with all requisite facilities, for all its citizens, in accordance with the Islamic criteria, in such a way that all citizens will always be able to engage in the armed defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” are believed to refer to the Basij. While “Iranian official estimates sometime put their total part-time and full-time strength at more than 20 million", others estimate the Basij as having "a core strength of 90,000, and up to 600,000" (CSIS, 11 January 2018, p. 4); at 100,000 with "hundreds of thousands of additional Basij could be mobilized in the event or an all-out war” (CRS, 23 May 2018, p. 18).


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The Basij are "the most visible symbol" of the Pasdaran’s strength, whose members "can be seen on street corners in every Iranian city".


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: They are (at least in theory) subordinate to, and receive their orders from, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. However they have also been described as "a loosely allied group of organizations" including "many groups controlled by local clerics." Currently, the Basij serve as an auxiliary force engaged in activities such as internal security as well as law enforcement auxiliary, the providing of social service, organizing of public religious ceremonies, and as morality police and the suppression of dissident gatherings.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The elite Quds Force (or Jerusalem Force), sometimes described as the successor to the Shah's Imperial Guards, is estimated to be 2,000–5,000 in number. It is a special operations unit, handling activities abroad. The force basically does not engage directly.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: IRGC started naval operations using mainly swarm tactics and speedboats during "Tanker War" phase of the Iran–Iraq War.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: IRGC Navy and the regular "Artesh" Navy overlap functions and areas of responsibility, but they are distinct in terms of how they are trained and equipped—and more importantly also in how they fight. The Revolutionary Guards Navy has a large inventory of small fast attack craft, and specializes in asymmetric hit-and-run tactics. It is more akin to a guerrilla force at sea, and maintains large arsenals of coastal defense and anti-ship cruise missiles and mines. It has also a Takavar (special force) unit, called Sepah Navy Special Force (S.N.S.F.).


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The 2020 edition of The Military Balance, published by IISS, says the IRGC has about 190,000 active personnel and controls the Basij on mobilisation (as much as 40,000 active paramilitary forces). It estimates the Ground Force is 150,000 strong and the Aerospace Force, which controls Iran's strategic-missile force, has some 15,000 personnel. The Naval Forces are estimated to size at least 20,000, including 5,000 Marines.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: During the Lebanese Civil War, the IRGC allegedly sent troops to train fighters in response to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: In Lebanon, political parties had staunch opinions regarding the IRGC's presence. Some, mainly the Christian militias such as the Lebanese Forces, Phalanges, and most of the Christian groups declared war on the IRGC, claiming they violated Lebanese sovereignty, while others, including Muslim militias, were neutral to their presence. Groups such as the PSP and Mourabiton did not approve of their presence, but to preserve political alliances they decided to remain silent on the matter.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: During the 2006 Lebanon War, several Iranian Revolutionary Guards were reportedly killed by Israeli forces in Baalbek, a town close to the Syrian border. Israeli officials believe that Iranian Revolutionary Guards forces were responsible for training and equipping the Hezbollah fighters behind the missile attack on the "INS Hanit" which left four Israeli sailors dead and seriously damaged the vessel.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: In January 2006, an IRGC Falcon crashed near Oroumieh, about 560 miles northwest of Tehran, near the Turkish border, Iranian media reported. All fifteen passengers died, including twelve senior IRGC commanders. Among the dead was General Ahmad Kazemi, the IRGC ground forces commander, and Iran–Iraq War veteran.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, spokesman for the IRGC, told state radio that both of the plane's engines had failed, its landing gear had jammed, and there was snow and poor visibility at the time.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: On 7 July 2008, investigative journalist and author Seymour Hersh wrote an article in "The New Yorker" stating that the Bush Administration had signed a Presidential Finding authorizing the CIA's Special Activities Division to begin cross border paramilitary operations from Iraq and Afghanistan into Iran. These operations would be against the Quds Force, the commando arm of the IRGC that had been blamed for repeated acts of violence in Iraq, and "high-value targets" in the war on terror.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: In October 2009, several top commanders of the Revolutionary Guards were killed in a suicide bombing in the Pishin region of Sistan-Baluchistan, in the south-east of Iran. The Iranian state television said 31 people died in the attack, and more than 25 were injured. Shia and Sunni tribal leaders were also killed. The Sunni Baluchi insurgent group Jundullah claimed responsibility for the attack. The Iranian government initially blamed the United States for involvement in the attacks, as well as Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and later Pakistan for their alleged support of the Jundallah group. The United States denied involvement, but some reports of US assistance to Jundallah during the Bush administration have come from Western sources. The attacks appear to have originated in Pakistan and several suspects have been arrested.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Prior to the Syrian war, Iran had between 2,000 and 3,000 IRGC officers stationed in Syria, helping to train local troops and managing supply routes of arms and money to neighboring Lebanon.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: General Qa'ani, Senior officer of Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, said: "If the Islamic Republic was not present in Syria, the massacre of civilians would have been twice as bad. Had physically and non-physically stopped the rebels from killing many more among the Syrian people."


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Iranian Revolutionary Guard soldiers, along with fellow Shi'ite forces from Hezbollah and members of Iran's Basij militia participated in the capture of Qusair from rebel forces on 9 June 2013. In 2014, Iran increased its deployment of IRGC in Syria.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: By late 2015, 194 IRGC troops had been killed in Syria; almost all of these soldiers were officers, with several even reaching the rank of Brigadier. Additionally, 354 Afghan combatants had died who were fighting under the command of the IRGC, as part of the IRGC-equipped and trained Fatemiyoun Brigade, which is part of Hezbollah Afghanistan. Another 21 Pakistanis also died as part of the Zainabiyoun Brigade.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The Afghan and Pakistani immigrants volunteered to go to Syria in exchange for salaries and citizenship. The Afghans were recruited largely from refugees inside Iran, and usually had combat experience before joining the IRGC; their status as members of the Iranian military is only vaguely acknowledged and sometimes denied, despite the troops being uniformed fighters led by IRGC officers. They were trained and equipped in Iran, paid salaries by the Iranian military, and received state funerals involving uniformed IRGC personnel. Mid to late October 2015 was particularly bloody for the IRGC, due to them stepping up their involvement in offensives around Aleppo. During this time, 30 IRGC officers, including "three generals, battalion commanders, captains and lieutenants" and "one pilot" were killed in fighting in Syria, as were several Afghan and Pakistani auxiliaries.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The fallen included General Hossein Hamadani, Farshad Hosounizadeh (IRGC colonel and former commander of the Saberin Special Forces Brigade), Mostafa Sadrzadeh (commander of the Omar Battalion of the Fatmiyoon Brigade), and Hamid Mojtaba Mokhtarband (IRGC commander).


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Two battalions of Revolutionary Guards were reported to be operating in Iraq trying to combat the 2014 Northern Iraq offensive. The IRGC is considered to be a principle backer of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a loose coalition of Shi'a militias allied with the Iraqi government in its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In addition, Major General Qasem Soleimani was an instrumental force in the Iranian ground mission in Iraq against ISIS, purportedly planning the Second Battle of Tikrit. In December 2014, Brigadier General Hamid Taqavi, a veteran of the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War, was killed by snipers in Samarra. In May 2017, Shaaban Nassiri, a senior IRGC commander was killed in combat near Mosul, Iraq. In December 2019, the U.S. Air Force conducted airstrikes on weapons caches and facilities of the IRGC-sponsored militant group Kata'ib Hezbollah. In retaliation, the group attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in the Green Zone.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: On 3 January 2020, Major General Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad International Airport along with the PMF commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Iran revolutionary guards said that they had shot down an Israeli drone approaching the Natanz nuclear facility. According to ISNA, "The downed aircraft was of the stealth, radar-evasive type ... and was targeted by a ground-to-air missile before it managed to enter the area." The statement by revolutionary guards did not mention how they recognized it as an Israeli drone. Israel offered no comment.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Iranian authorities initially denied responsibility for the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 incident. However, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later admitted that the plane had been shot down by mistake.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps took "full responsibility" for unintentionally shooting down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 with a surface-to-air missile on 8 January 2020. President Hassan Rouhani stated that the plane was approaching an IRGC base when it was shot down: according to a senior Revolutionary Guards commander, the plane was mistaken for a cruise missile.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: On 17 January 2020, the IRGC which mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, were protected by Ali Khamenei in the Friday sermon. He said that the downing was a "bitter" tragedy and additionally declared that "Iran's enemies" used the crash and the military's admission to "weaken" the IRGC.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: On 3 February 2021, IRGC announced that it had conducted an intelligence-based operation inside Pakistani territory to rescue two of its border guards who were taken as hostages by Jaish ul-Adl organization two and a half years ago.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: As an elite group, members of Pasdaran have influence in Iran's political world. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President 2005-2013) joined the IRGC in 1985, serving first in military operation in Iraqi Kurdistan before leaving the front line to take charge of logistics. A majority of his first cabinet consisted of IRGC veterans. Nearly one third of the members elected to Iran's Majlis in 2004 are also ""Pásdárán"". Others have been appointed as ambassadors, mayors, provincial governors and senior bureaucrats. However, IRGC veteran status does not imply a single viewpoint.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Strengthening the power of the IRGC was their actions against the Green Movement, where thousands of Iranians protested election irregularities in the 2009 victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over "a well-liked" reformer Mir-Hossein Mousavi. As "the demonstrations gained strength, the security forces swept in, arresting, beating, and killing protesters". The IRGC was thought to be crucial in crushing the movement which "marked a turning point" for the Islamic Republic. In a video leaked to the internet, the leader of the Pasdaran at the time, (General Mohammad Ali Jafari), opposed the protest as challenging 'the tenets of the revolution', but warned that it 'was a blow that weakened the fundamental pillars of the regime,' and demonstrated that Iran's rulers "could no longer count on popular support", 'Anyone who refuses to understand these new conditions will not be successful'.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Ayatollah Khomeini urged that the country's military forces should remain unpoliticized. However, the Constitution, in Article 150, defines the IRGC as the "guardian of the Revolution and of its achievements" which is at least partly a political mission. His original views have therefore been the subject of debate. Supporters of the Basiji have argued for politicization, while reformists, moderates and Hassan Khomeini opposed it. President Rafsanjani forced military professionalization and ideological deradicalization on the IRGC to curb its political role, but the Pasdaran became natural allies of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei when reformists threatened him. The IRGC grew stronger under President Ahmedinejad, and assumed formal command of the Basiji militia in early 2009.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Although never explicitly endorsing or affiliating themselves with any political parties, the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran (or Abadgaran), is widely viewed as a political front for the Revolutionary Guards. Many former members (including Ahmadinejad) have joined this party in recent years and the Revolutionary Guards have reportedly given them financial support.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: IRGC first expanded into commercial activity through informal social networking of veterans and former officials. IRGC officials confiscated assets of many refugees who had fled Iran after the fall of Abolhassan Banisadr's government. It is now a vast conglomerate, controlling Iran's missile batteries and nuclear program but also a multibillion-dollar business empire reaching almost all economic sectors. Estimates of the fraction of Iran's economy that it controls through a series of subsidiaries and trusts vary from ten percent to over 50.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The "Los Angeles Times" estimates that IRGC has ties to over one hundred companies, with its annual revenue exceeding $12 billion in business and construction. IRGC has been awarded billions of dollars in contracts in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, as well as major infrastructure projects.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The following commercial entities have been named by the United States as owned or controlled by the IRGC and its leaders.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: In September 2009, the Government of Iran sold 51% of the shares of the Telecommunication Company of Iran to the Mobin Trust Consortium (Etemad-e-Mobin), a group affiliated with the Guards, for the sum of $7.8 billion. This was the largest transaction on the Tehran Stock Exchange in history. IRGC also owns 45% participation in automotive Bahman Group and has a majority stake in Iran's naval giant SADRA through Khatam al-Anbia.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The IRGC also exerts influence over "bonyads", wealthy, non-governmental ostensibly charitable foundations controlled by key clerics. The pattern of revolutionary foundations mimics the style of informal and extralegal economic networks from the time of the Shah. Their development started in the early 1990s, gathered pace over the next decade, and accelerated even more with many lucrative no-bid contracts from the Ahmadinejad presidency. The IRGC exerts informal, but real, influence over many such organizations including:


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: As an elite force with great economic assets it has developed into what some observers call an "untouchable élite" and somewhat isolated in Iranian society. According to a "former senior Middle Eastern intelligence officer", the Guard and their families "have their own schools, their own markets, their own neighborhoods, their own resorts. The neighborhoods look like a carbon copy of Beverly Hills."


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Former Bank Ansar and Bank Mehr Iranian were run by corps IRGC Cooperation Bonyad until merger with state Bank Sepah.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Mehdi Khalaji of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy argues that the IRGC is "the spine of the current political structure and a major player in the Iranian economy." The once theocratic state has evolved into a garrison state, like Burma, whereby the military dominates social, cultural, political, and economic life, protecting the government from internal rather than external opponents.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Greg Bruno and Jayshree Bajoria of the Council on Foreign Relations agree, stating that the IRGC has expanded well beyond its mandate and into a "socio-military-political-economic force" that deeply penetrates Iran's power structure. "The Guards' involvement in politics has grown to unprecedented levels since 2004, when IRGC won at least 16 percent of the 290 seats" in the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran. During the elections of March 2008, IRGC veterans won 182 out of 290 seats, helping Mahmoud Ahmadinejad consolidate power.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Half of Ahmadinejad's cabinet was composed of former IRGC officers while several others were appointed to provincial governorships.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Ali Alfoneh of the American Enterprise Institute contends that "While the presence of former IRGC officers in the cabinet is not a new phenomenon, their numbers under Ahmadinejad—they occupy nine of the twenty-one ministry portfolios—are unprecedented." Additionally, Ahmadinejad successfully purged provincial governorships of Rafsanjani and Khatami supporters and replaced them not only with IRGC members, but also members of the Basij and the Islamic Republic prison administration.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The IRGC chief, General Mohammad Ali Ja’fari, announced that the Guards’ would go through internal restructuring in order to counter "internal threats to the Islamic Republic." Bruce Riedel, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and former CIA analyst, argues the Guards was created to protect the government against a possible coup.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Since the disputed 2009 presidential elections, debate over how powerful the IRGC is has reemerged. Danielle Pletka and Ali Alfoneh see the irreversible militarization of Iran's government. Abbas Milani, director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, believes the Guards’ power actually exceeds that of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Frederic Wehrey, adjunct Senior Fellow at the RAND Corporation believes the Revolutionary Guards is not a cohesive unit of similar-minded conservatives but rather a factionalized institution that is hardly bent on overthrowing their masters.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The U.S. Department of the Treasury claims the Corp has supported several organizations the U.S. deems to be terrorist, including Hizballah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), and the Taliban. In the U.S. Department of the Treasury's report, four IRGC senior officials, Hushang Alladad, Hossein Musavi, Hasan Mortezavi, and Mohammad Reza Zahedi, were specifically named for providing support to terrorist organizations. Hushang Alladad, a financial officer for the IRGC, was cited as personally administering financial support to terrorist groups including Hizballah, Hamas, and PIJ. Both General Hossein Musavi and Colonel Hasan Mortevazi were claimed to have provided financial and material support to the Taliban. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the IRGC commander in Lebanon, was claimed to have played a crucial role in Iran's aid to Hizballah. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Zahedi served as a liaison to Hizballah and Syrian intelligence services as well as taking part in weapon deals involving Hizballah. The U.S. Treasury report goes on to detail the IRGC's methods of support for terrorist groups: "The Government of Iran also uses the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and IRGC-QF to implement its foreign policy goals, including, but not limited to, seemingly legitimate activities that provide cover for intelligence operations and support to terrorist and insurgent groups. These activities include economic investment, reconstruction, and other types of aid to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon, implemented by companies and institutions that act for or on behalf of, or are owned or controlled by the IRGC and the Iranian government."


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: From its origin as an ideologically driven militia, the IRGC has taken an ever more assertive role in virtually every aspect of Iranian society. Its part in suppressing dissent has led many analysts to describe the events surrounding the 12 June 2009 presidential election as a military coup, and the IRGC as an authoritarian military security government for which its Shiite clerical system is no more than a facade.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Since its establishment, IRGC has been involved in many economic and military activities among which some raised controversies. The organization has been accused of smuggling (including importing illegal alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and satellite dishes, into Iran via jetties not supervised by the Government), training and supplying Hezbollah and Hamas fighters, and of being involved in the Iraq War.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: In December 2009, evidence uncovered during an investigation by the Guardian newspaper and Guardian Films linked the IRGC to the kidnappings of 5 Britons from a government ministry building in Baghdad in 2007. Three of the hostages, Jason Creswell, Jason Swindlehurst and Alec Maclachlan, were killed. Alan Mcmenemy's body was never found but Peter Moore was released on 30 December 2009. The investigation uncovered evidence that Moore, 37, a computer expert from Lincoln was targeted because he was installing a system for the Iraqi Government that would show how a vast amount of international aid was diverted to Iran's militia groups in Iraq.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: According to Geneive Abdo, IRGC members were appointed "as ambassadors, mayors, cabinet ministers, and high-ranking officials at state-run economic institutions" during the administration of president Ahmadinejad. Appointments in 2009 by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have given "hard-liners" in the guard "unprecedented power" and included "some of the most feared and brutal men in Iran."


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: In May 2019, the United States accused the IRGC of being "directly responsible" for an attack on commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman. Michael M. Gilday, United States director of the Joint Staff, described US intelligence attributing that the IRGC used limpet mines to attack four oil tankers anchored in the Gulf of Oman for bunkering through the Port of Fujairah.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the IRGC unveiled the Mostaan 110, an experimental medical device that the IRGC claimed could detect instances of COVID-19 using electromagnetic radiation. The IRGC's claims of Mostaan 110's capabilities were met with widespread criticism from both Iranian and international experts, who called it pseudoscientific and compared it to the ADE 651, a fake explosive detector with a similar design.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: In December 2022, German authorities accused the IRGC of attempting to orchestrate attacks against synagogues in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and spying on the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: Since 15 April 2019, the United States, which opposes the activities of Sepah, considers the IRGC as a terrorist organization, which some top CIA and Pentagon officials reportedly opposed. On 8 April, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted in Hebrew that America's terrorist designation was the fulfillment of "another important request of mine." This designation was criticized by a number of governments including Turkey, Iraq and China as well as the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Iran's parliament, in which members wore IRGC uniforms in protest.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: On 29 April 2019, United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Mulroy said Iran posed five threats. The first was Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. The second was to maritime security in the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab, because a substantial portion of energy trade and commercial goods go through those areas. The third was because of their support to proxies and terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, Houthis in Yemen, some Hashd al-Shaabi in Iraq and safe-harboring senior al-Qaeda leaders in Iran. The fourth was Iranian made ballistic missiles sent to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen for use against Saudi Arabia and to Syria with Hezbollah to use against Israel. Cyber is the fifth threat and a growing concern. He also said that the terrorist designation did not grant any additional authorities to the Department of Defense and that they were not asking for any.


title: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

text: The IRGC has never been designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, although the UNSCR 1929 had its assets frozen (this was lifted in 2016). The European Union has already sanctions in place on the IRGC, though it is not designated as a terrorist group as such.