Originally founded as the construction and engineering branch of the IRGC at the end of the Iran-Iraq War, Ghorb initially focused on reconstruction, but it soon ventured into other fields.

FORBES: The Dangers Of Doing Business With Iran's Revolutionary Guards

Security Council, the United States and other countries began going after companies that operate in Iran, Ghorb offered an object lesson in the hazards of doing business with Iranian partners.

FORBES: The Dangers Of Doing Business With Iran's Revolutionary Guards

Imagine the embarrassment for Wirth and Herrenknecht, two German companies that had supplied Ghorb and one of its subsidiaries with the tunnel boring machinery necessary to construct the facility.

FORBES: The Dangers Of Doing Business With Iran's Revolutionary Guards

Ghorb is the parent of 812 affiliate companies which, according to estimates by the U.S. Treasury Department and Western intelligence services cited by Time Magazine, collectively employ around 40, 000 people and have won approximately 1, 700 government contracts, including billions of dollars in energy-related contracts awarded without a competitive bidding process.

FORBES: The Dangers Of Doing Business With Iran's Revolutionary Guards