Description:

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khamenei explains the formation of Basij force.

The Basij (Persian for mobilization) is a large and omnipresent paramilitary organization with multifaceted roles, and which acts as the eyes and ears of the Islamic Republic. The Basij volunteers are present in schools, universities, state and private institutions, factories, and even among tribes.

The Basij was formed by order of Imam Ruhollah Khomeini in November 1979 and was intended to function as the nucleus of what the founder of the Islamic republic called \"the army of 20 million\" with the aim of defending the Islamic Republic against both domestic and foreign threats.