Negar Mortazavi speaks with Annie Tracy Samuel about the history and formation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the role of the guards after the revolution and during the Iran-Iraq war, and how the group has evolved into a prominent organization today that influences Iran’s foreign and security policies. Our guest is Annie Tracy Samuel, Associate Professor of History at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga who specializes in the modern history of Iran and the Middle East. She is the author of The Unfinished History of the Iran-Iraq War: Faith, Firepower, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards.