RFERL:

A new batch of US sanctions announced on October 16 targeted some 20 companies and financial institutions that finance Basij Resistance Force, a paramilitary organization linked to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

Introducing the sanctions last Tuesday, the United States Treasury Department said in a statement that the network of businesses that were targeted by the new sanctions provide financial support to Basij, that trains child soldiers for the IRGC.

The new sanctions are part of the United States’ economic campaign to pressure Iran over what President Donald Trump's administration describes as its "malign" role in the Middle East, including support for militant groups.

But is the Basij force as violent and destructive as its critics charge? Radio Farda asked its listeners in one of its call-in shows; The Sixth Hour.

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