Unconfirmed reports said they were held under house arrest by the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

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Surprisingly, many Americans know little about the IRGC although it wields considerable security, political and economic clout in Iran.

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Meanwhile, Mr Ahmadinejad has forwarded a cabinet list for parliamentary approval that reflects the influence of his IRGC cronies.

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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.

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