ARTE
Documentary series available for replay until December 28, 2026
Architects and pillars of the Iranian dictatorship, the “Revolutionary Guards” have succeeded in seizing all power. This two-part investigation This reveals the power of a sprawling organization that holds Iran’s destiny in its hands.
In 1979, demonstrations overthrew the regime of the Shah of Iran, a sovereign who was both a modernizer and an autocrat. Ayatollah Khomeini, 76 years old and in exile in France, seized power and created a militia tasked with hunting down the enemies of the Islamic Revolution, thus signaling the authoritarian and rigid shift of the new regime. His “Revolutionary Guards” (Pasdaran) were sent to the front lines during the war against Iraq (1980-1988) and became an essential cog in the state machine. Soon, they were developing, in utmost secrecy, a program aimed at acquiring the nuclear bomb. Over the decades, the Revolutionary Guards (Pasdaran) have seized control of the country’s economy, developed their own intelligence service, and won local and national elections, including the 2005 presidential election. True to their doctrine of suppressing all forms of dissent, they also rely on a formidable hostage diplomacy. The tragic fates of Rouhollah Zam, a political dissident arrested and executed in December 2020, and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British citizen imprisoned for espionage between 2016 and 2022, illustrate their methods.
Born in the post-revolutionary chaos, lauded for their bravery on the Iraqi front, and architects of Iran’s nuclear program and regional policy, the Revolutionary Guards quickly made themselves indispensable and seized control of the country. Repressing all dissent with bloodshed, they cultivate the art of deterrence and manipulation among their Western enemies. This two-part documentary retraces the rise of the Revolutionary Guards (Pasdaran) through the testimonies of some of their earliest supporters, supplemented by archival footage and propaganda videos that shed light on the organization’s radical methods. It reveals the reality behind the uniforms through an analysis of the methodically constructed economic empire, fundamental to their quest for power. The historical narrative then transforms into an investigation, particularly into the techniques used to circumvent Western sanctions, allowing for a fresh perspective—and a critical eye—on the major decisions made by European and American governments. The two episodes also offer a human dimension, with the stories of relatives of two emblematic victims of the Revolutionary Guards running through them: the husband of hostage Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, engaged in a long struggle for her release, and the daughter of dissident Rouhollah Zam, executed by the regime.
Revolutionary Guards: Masters of Iran (Part 1 of 2) – A State Within a State
Documentary by Julie Lerat (France, 2023, 52 min)
