The popularity of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has spiked, at least on social media, following US President Donald Trump laying out a new strategy on Oct. 13 that increases the likelihood of not only the collapse of the nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers, but also the likelihood of a military conflict and aggressive efforts to bring about regime change in Tehran. In the same strategy speech, Trump said he had authorized the Treasury to impose additional sanctions on the IRGC, describing it as "the Iranian Supreme Leader’s corrupt personal terror force and militia."

A day after Trump's speech from the White House, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted, “Today, Iranians — boys, girls, men, women — are ALL IRGC; standing with those who defend us & the region against aggression and terror.” On Oct. 11, President Hassan Rouhani also addressed the IRGC and the possibility of US sanctions against them. He remarked, “If America wants to commit its next big mistake and take action against the IRGC, this is a mistake upon a mistake.”

Rouhani continued, “The IRGC is not only a military organization, but the IRGC is in the hearts of the people and has defended the nation any time there has been a danger against national interests.” He added that the IRGC is not only popular among the Iranian people, but also in Iraq, including Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and Lebanon.

In response to Trump’s speech and Zarif’s tweet, #Love to IRGC began trending on Persian-language Twitter. “Love to IRGC is that feeling of security which is like seeing Haj Qasem [Soleimani] and his friends,” read one tweet. With the Islamic State's seizure of territory in Iraq, Iran’s neighbor to the west, Soleimani, commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, has become one of the more popular figures in Iran, according to domestic and foreign polls, with his profile raised by his force's assistance in the battle against the extremist group.