An unusual public debate in Iran is raising a sensitive question that was once almost untouchable: could the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps face a deep structural change, merger, or even gradual dismantling?
The discussion was triggered by comments from Mehdi Kharratian, an Iranian policy researcher linked to conservative-security circles, who said in an Iranian podcast that a systematic process is underway inside Iran to dismantle the IRGC.
There is still no official confirmation that Iran’s leadership is seriously considering such a move. But the fact that the topic is being discussed at all — not only by opposition media abroad, but also inside parts of Iran’s own media sphere — shows how much pressure the regime is facing after months of war, economic crisis, and internal distrust.
The IRGC is not just a military force. It is the backbone of the Islamic Republic’s power structure, controlling large parts of Iran’s security apparatus, economy, regional terror network, missile program, and political intimidation system.