Intel: Why the US is sanctioning Iran’s Basij militia
The White House today announced new sanctions on Iran — specifically on the volunteer Basij militia, which operates under the auspices of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The sanctions also target three Iranian banks accused of providing financial support to Basij-controlled companies.
The paramilitary force is tasked with exerting the IRGC’s will over Iranian society. But it also fights on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria.
