Iranian Militias

A significant aspect of political repression in the Islamic Republic of Iran has been the deployment of non-Iranian militias in violent crackdowns against Iranian civilians during major protests. These foreign militias are normally proxy forces backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which sustains a coalition called the Axis of Resistance to fight in wars across the Middle East, generally consisting of Shia Muslims in armed groups from Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Their involvement is usually considered a part of a broader strategy by the government of Iran to maintain internal stability by crushing dissent among its citizens.