In comments on Sunday, Brigadier General Gholam Reza Soleimani paid tribute to the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, for establishing Basij which subsequently played a leading role in the liberation of Khorramshahr, a city in southwestern Iran that had been occupied by the Iraq's Baathist army in the early 1980s under former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
The commander said he is duty-bound to strengthen Basij as the popular foundation of the Islamic Revolution in order to protect the homeland.
He stated that the fortification of Basij involves updating its equipment, noting that a large portion of the equipment used by the Basij forces has been delivered to the respective units.
Basij is a paramilitary voluntary force established in 1979 on Imam Khomeini's order.
The force consists of often young Iranians, who have volunteered, with a strong sense of fidelity to both the Islamic system and religious beliefs.