Basij

The Basij (Persian: بسیج, lit. 'Mobilization'), formally Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (سازمان بسیج مستضعفین, 'Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed'), is a volunteer paramilitary organization inside the Islamic Republic of Iran and one of the five branches of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Established by decree of Ruhollah Khomeini in November 1979 and officially founded in April 1980, the Basij serves as a civilian auxiliary to the IRGC. Its activities include enforcing state morality regulations, organizing pro-government rallies, suppressing dissident demonstrations, and providing social services. The organization historically recruited heavily from poor, tribal, and rural communities affected by post-revolutionary economic and geopolitical upheaval and served as a major source of manpower during the Iran–Iraq War. Its present-day members, known as basijis (Persian: بسيجی), are drawn largely from religious and politically loyalist segments of Iranian society, as well as from individuals who volunteer in exchange for official benefits. The Basij has been implicated in widespread human rights violations in Iran, particularly through its role in suppressing major episodes of domestic unrest in 2009–2010, 2017–2018, 2019–2020, 2022–2023, and 2025–2026. As a component of the IRGC, the Basij has been subject to sanctions and covered by terrorist designations imposed by several governments and international bodies, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.