The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 2018 to 2025 Middle East
Terrorist group(s) Iran, in 8 editions.
The entry for Iran published Terrorist group(s) in 8 editions of 36, from 2018 to 2025. The text changed in 5 editions. Each is shown as published. Terrorist group(s) in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 5
- the first edition with it
- 2018
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Terrorist groups - home based” (2018 to 2019), “Terrorist groups - foreign based” (2018 to 2019) and “Terrorist group(s)” (2020 to 2025).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2025 edition
Same as 2024Published as “Terrorist groups - home based”
- Jaysh al Adl:
- note(s): formerly known as Jundallah (April 2018)
Published as “Terrorist groups - foreign based”
- al-Qa'ida (AQ):
- aim(s): unite the worldwide Muslim community, overthrow governments perceived as un-Islamic, and, ultimately, establish a pan-Islamic caliphate under a strict Salafi Muslim interpretation of sharia (April 2018)
- Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK):
- aim(s): advance Kurdish autonomy, political, and cultural rights in Iran, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria
- area(s) of operation:
- operational in the northwest; majority of members inside Iran are Iranian Kurds, along with Kurds from Iraq, Syria, and Turkey (April 2018)
Jaysh al Adl: note(s): formerly known as Jundallah (April 2018)
al-Qa'ida (AQ): aim(s): unite the worldwide Muslim community, overthrow governments perceived as un-Islamic, and, ultimately, establish a pan-Islamic caliphate under a strict Salafi Muslim interpretation of sharia (April 2018)
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK): aim(s): advance Kurdish autonomy, political, and cultural rights in Iran, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria
area(s) of operation: operational in the northwest; majority of members inside Iran are Iranian Kurds, along with Kurds from Iraq, Syria, and Turkey (April 2018)
Published as “Terrorist groups - home based”
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC):
- aim(s): protect Iran’s Islamic Revolution;
- spread Shia influence;
- internal security, including border control, law enforcement, and suppressing domestic opposition;
- controls country’s missiles and rockets;
- influence Iran’s politics and economy
- area of operation(s):
headquartered in Tehran, throughout Iran (2019)
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - Qods Force (IRGC-QF): aim(s): protect Iran’s Islamic Revolution;
- spread Shia influence;
- conduct clandestine overseas operations, often supporting other terrorist organizations (including Sunni groups like the Taliban when their goals align) with significant funding, logistics, training, or weaponry to commit terror attacks, either directly or through proxies;
- recruit, train, and equip foreign Islamic revolutionary groups throughout the Middle East
- area(s) of operations:
- headquartered in Tehran (2019)
- Jaysh al Adl:
- note(s): formerly known as Jundallah
Published as “Terrorist groups - foreign based”
- al-Qa'ida (AQ):
- aim(s): unite the worldwide Muslim community, overthrow governments perceived as un-Islamic, and, ultimately, establish a pan-Islamic caliphate under a strict Salafi Muslim interpretation of sharia (2018)
- Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK):
- aim(s): advance Kurdish autonomy, political, and cultural rights in Iran, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria
- area(s) of operation:
- operational in the northwest; majority of members inside Iran are Iranian Kurds, along with Kurds from Iraq, Syria, and Turkey (2018)
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC): aim(s): protect Iran’s Islamic Revolution; spread Shia influence; internal security, including border control, law enforcement, and suppressing domestic opposition; controls country’s missiles and rockets; influence Iran’s politics and economy
area of operation(s): headquartered in Tehran, throughout Iran (2019)
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - Qods Force (IRGC-QF): aim(s): protect Iran’s Islamic Revolution; spread Shia influence; conduct clandestine overseas operations, often supporting other terrorist organizations (including Sunni groups like the Taliban when their goals align) with significant funding, logistics, training, or weaponry to commit terror attacks, either directly or through proxies; recruit, train, and equip foreign Islamic revolutionary groups throughout the Middle East
area(s) of operations: headquartered in Tehran (2019)
Jaysh al Adl: note(s): formerly known as Jundallah (April 2018)
al-Qa'ida (AQ): aim(s): unite the worldwide Muslim community, overthrow governments perceived as un-Islamic, and, ultimately, establish a pan-Islamic caliphate under a strict Salafi Muslim interpretation of sharia (April 2018) (2018)
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK): aim(s): advance Kurdish autonomy, political, and cultural rights in Iran, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria
area(s) of operation: operational in the northwest; majority of members inside Iran are Iranian Kurds, along with Kurds from Iraq, Syria, and Turkey (April 2018) (2018)
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force;
- Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah);
- Kurdistan Workers' Party;
- al-Qa’ida (2019)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Rewritten: too little of the 2019 text remains to mark the changes.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Kurdistan Workers' Party; al-Qa’ida (2019)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force;
- Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah);
- Kurdistan Workers' Party;
- al-Qa’ida
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Kurdistan Workers' Party; al-Qa’ida (2019)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
The same text in 2022 and 2023.
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force;
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS);
- Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah);
- Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK);
- al-Qa’ida
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Kurdistan Workers' Party; Party (PKK); al-Qa’ida
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
The same text in 2024 and 2025.
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force;
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS);
- Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah);
- Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK);
- al-Qa’ida
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK); al-Qa’ida
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T the Terrorism reference guide
No edition has those words. Try a shorter word.
Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Iran: Terrorist group(s).” The World Factbook, 2018–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/iran/terrorist-group-s.