Basij: A dynamic and ever-flowing doctrine

Basij Week is not merely an emotional commemoration; it is a reminder of a strategic and calculated decision in the history of the Islamic Republic—one that Imam Khomeini (RA) announced on November 26, 1979, at a time when the country was facing three major realities simultaneously:

• Escalating foreign threats and the early stages of the imposed war;
• Internal unrest and efforts to destabilize the nation;
• A vital need for widespread public participation in rebuilding and stabilizing the revolution

In such circumstances, rather than relying solely on a traditional military structure, the late Imam organized the “social capital of the nation.” Although the Army, under intense pressure at that time, was the primary pillar of national defense, Imam Khomeini—with deep insight into the nature of emerging threats—completed a missing link that today’s global security literature calls a “people-based defense force.”

Historical evidence shows that this decision was neither emotional nor reactive; it was a governance innovation. Some clear examples include:

• During the Iran–Iraq War, 80% of logistics and a large portion of volunteer forces came from the Basij.
• In post-war reconstruction, key national projects were completed with Basij participation.
• During security seditions in recent decades, Basij served as a pillar of social stability.
• In natural disasters and public health crises, Basij has consistently been the country’s first on-the-ground responder.
• In today’s hybrid and media warfare, Basij functions as a “social resistance network.”

These are not mere statistics or narratives; they are concrete realities that have cemented Basij’s role within the governance framework of the Islamic Republic.

Alongside the powerful Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Basij is a multi-dimensional force—military, cultural, media-oriented, and social.

The combination of these three pillars—Army, IRGC, and Basij—forms the national security doctrine of the Islamic Republic, a doctrine recognized today worldwide as a model of people-centered security.

For those of us whose identity is grounded in the school of Velayat, Basij is not just an organization; it is an efficient model for managing society in times of threat, crisis, and even progress.

A model that the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khamenei (may his life be prolonged), has repeatedly described as the “strategic reserve of the nation.”

Basij Week reminds us of this truth:

As long as the people—through an intelligent and organized structure like Basij—stand alongside the country’s official institutions, no war, whether hard, soft, media-driven, or economic, can force Iran to retreat.

Salutations to the Basijis who fight with awareness, serve with sincerity, and build the future with faith.

They are the very people whom Imam Khomeini trusted, and today the Leader calls them “officers of the soft war and architects of the new Islamic civilization.”