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Basij

The ' (), formally ' (), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five branches. An individual member is called basiji in the Persian language.

Key facts

Organization.name: Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed
Organization.image: Flag of Basij.svg
Organization.caption: Banner of Basij
Organization.formation: (decreed) (founded)
Organization.founder: Ruhollah Khomeini
Organization.type: Paramilitary volunteer militia
Organization.tax_id: <!-- or
Organization.vat_id: (for European organizations) -->
Organization.purpose: "To create the necessary capabilities in all individuals believing in the constitution and goals of the Islamic revolution to defend the country, the regime of the Islamic Republic, and aid people in cases of disasters and unexpected events"
Organization.fields: Internal security, law enforcement, moral policing, military reserves
Organization.leader_title: Commander
Organization.leader_name: Vacant
Organization.budget: $357.08 million
Organization.budget_year: 2016
Organization.staff: 90,000-100,000 (CSIS estimate)
Organization.staff_year: 2005
Organization.membership: More than 20 million to 25 million reserves (volunteers who hold membership)400,000 to 600,000 available for immediate call-up

via Wikipedia infobox

Article

26 sections

Contents

Terminology
History
Iran–Iraq War
Revival
Syrian Civil War, 2011–2021
Protest movements
2009 election protests
Mahsa Amini protests
2025–2026 Iranian protests
2026 Iran war
Organization, membership, duties, activities
Organization
Size, bases
Economic power
Duties and activities
Role in higher education
Commanders
Timeline
Motivation
Politics
Controversy
See also
Other paramilitary groups
References
Further reading
External links

Established in Iran in 1979 by order of Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Iranian Revolution, the organization originally consisted of civilian volunteers, often from poor, tribal, rural backgrounds affected by post-Revolution economic and geopolitical issues, who were urged by Khomeini to fight in the Iran–Iraq War. Khomeini would occasionally refer to Basij as "The Twenty Million Army", claiming that about 75% of the population were Basijis. He would elaborate, saying that a country with 20 million of its people as their army will be undefeatable. Basij was an independent organization until 17 February 1981, when it was officially incorporated into the Revolutionary Guards organization structure by the Iranian Parliament in order to end the interservice rivalry between the two, according to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.