Reading: The speech of Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in which he emphasizes the adoption of a defensive strategy by the IRI while warning the enemies about Iran’s capabilities.
If interested, the students can get familiar with an additional material describing the role, structure, missions, responsibilities and activities of the IRGC.
Listening: For today’s listening, the students fill find two videos of General Hossein Salami. The first one is short piece from his 2022 interview with the official website of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Khamenei.ir. In the second one, he speaks with the Student News Agency during the "Great Prophet-19" military drill in 2025.
The students are also required to watch a video material about General Qasem Soleimani, who was one of the central faces in the IRGC. It is an 18-minute BBC Persian documentary about him and Iran’s Axis of Resistance.
Subject of Conversation: The importance of IRGC in the political system of Iran (اهمیت سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی در نظام سیاسی ایران)
In today’s conversation, students will explore the role and influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) within the political structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran. With guidance and commentary from the instructor, they will examine how the IRGC's functions extend beyond the military sphere into political, economic, and ideological domains. This discussion will give students the opportunity to analyze official rhetoric, expand their thematic vocabulary, and improve their ability to speak about military and political institutions in Persian with greater accuracy and fluency.
Homework:
- Please carefully read the text of the first article and study the vocabulary.
- Watch the short documentary from the Listening section and underline the main issues discussed in it in Persian (about 200 words).
Vocabulary (Reading):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| سردار | sardār | sardar (IRGC) - roughly equivalent to "general" (honorific title) |
| ناو | nāv | battleship |
| یگان | yegān | unit |
| رزم دریایی | razm-e daryāyi | naval warfare |
| خم کردن | xam kardan | to bend, to bow |
| فرماندۀ کل | farmānde-ye koll | commander-in-chief |
| پهپادبر | pahpādbar | drone carrier |
| قادر بودن | qāder budan | to be able |
| دوردست | durdast | distant |
| دوربرد | durbord | long-range |
| شلیک کردن | šelik kardan | to shoot, to fire |
| الحاق | elhāq | addition, joining; annexation |
| مرور | morur | review |
| اهمیت | ahamiyyat | importance |
| توانمندی | tavānmandi | capability |
| رشادت | rešādat | bravery |
| استقلال | esteqlāl | independence |
| مشعل | maš’al | torch |
| سلطه | solte | rule, dominance |
| مستکبر | mostakber | arrogant |
| به ارمغان آوردن | be armaƴān āvardan | to bestow |
| چالش | čāleš | challenge |
| فتنه | fetne | unrest, sedition, chaos |
| اراده | erāde | will |
| بر سر چیزی ایستادن | bar sar-e čizi istādan | to stand firm, to insist on sth |
| حفظ | hefz | protection, preservation |
| به نفع | be naf’-e | for the benefit of, in favor of |
| طراحی کردن | tarāhi kardan | to sketch, to plan |
| در این بین | dar in beyn | in the meantime |
| در برابر | dar barābar-e | to, against |
| سرنوشت | sarnevešt | destiny |
| ظرفیت | zarfiyyat | capacity |
| دارا بودن | dārā budan | to have, to possess |
| شناور تندرو | šenāvar-e tondro | fast craft |
| عرصه | ‘arse | area |
| تعامل | ta’āmol | interaction |
| تصریح کردن | tasrih kardan | to clarify |
| کرانه باختری | karāne-ye bāxtari | West Bank |
| ایستادگی کردن | istādegi kardan | to stand firm, to resist |
| مستحکم | mostahkam | strong, firm, solid |
| منحرف شدن | monharef šodan | to deviate |
| سرلشکر | sarlaškar | major general |
Vocabulary (First Video):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| مبارزه | mobāraze | struggle, fight |
| غزه | γazze | Gaza |
| درگیر بودن | dargir budan | to be involved, to be engaged |
| فلسطین | Felestin | Palestine |
| فروند | farvand | classifier for aircraft, ships, etc. |
| حصار | hesār | barrier, fence |
| به ظاهر | be zāher | seemingly, apparently |
| نفوذ‌ناپذیر | nofuznāpazir | impenetrable |
| مجهز کردن | mojahhaz kardan | to equip, to arm |
| قابل توصیف | qābel-e tousif | describable |
| روش | raveš | method |
| معما | mo‘ammā | enigma, mystery |
| قدرت | qodrat | power |
| منبع (جمع: منابع) | manba‘ (pl. manābe‘) | source |
| مفهوم | mafhum | concept, meaning |
| تکاملی | takāmoli | evolutionary, progressive, improving |
| نقطه | noqte | point |
| تحت اشغال | taht-e ešγāl | occupied |
| مورد اصابت قرار دادن | moured-e esābat qarār dādan | to hit, to strike |
| مورد هدف قرار دادن | moured-e hadaf qarār dādan | to target |
| حاشیه | hāšiye | margin, border |
| امن | amn | safe, secure |
| معادله | mo‘ādele | equation |
| نوار غزه | navār-e γazze | Gaza Strip |
| نقطه تلاقی آتش | noqte-ye talāqi-ye ātaš | point of fire convergence |
| اجزاء (مفرد: جزء، جزو) | ajzā’ (sing. joz’, jozv) | components, parts |
| ارکان (مفرد: رکن) | arkān (sing. rokn) | pillars, foundations |
| نبرد زمینی | nabard-e zamini | ground battle |
| ممات | mamāt | death |
| معادله بقا و ممات | mo‘ādele-ye baqā o mamāt | survival vs. death equation |
| کارآزموده | kārāzmude | experienced, seasoned |
| تعیین شدن | ta‘yin šodan | to be determined |
Weekend Presentation: The presentation topic for the following week is “Three Key Words I Learned This Week and Why They Matter.” Each student must be prepared to deliver a 7-10 minute presentation on three key military-related terms they learned during the week, specifically in the context of the Iranian military. The presentation should explain the meaning of each term, its usage within the military, its significance in understanding Iran's military culture and operations, and why the student chose those particular terms. After each presentation, a Q&A session will follow, where students will answer questions from their peers. This exercise will help students reinforce their military vocabulary and improve their speaking and presentation skills.