The Islamic Republic says more than 31 million people have registered for the “Janfeda” campaign; a figure that is met with doubt about its accuracy.

Officials from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij report that training for volunteers has begun and new battalions have been formed.

But what is the Islamic Republic’s goal in organizing these forces?

Mehdi Beigi, a member of the editorial board of Iran International, examines the objectives and military and security dimensions of the “Janfeda” plan in “Peyvast.”