The Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, are the combined military forces of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, comprising the
Islamic Republic of Iran Army
, founded =
, current_form = (Islamic Republic)
, disbanded =
, branches =
, headquarters = Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Tehran
, website =
, commander-in-chief = Maj. Gen ...
(''Arteš''), the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...
(''Sepâh'') and the
Law Enforcement Force (Police).
Iranian Armed Forces are the largest in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
in terms of active troops.
Iran's military forces are made up of approximately 610,000
active-duty
Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. In the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, the equivalent term is active service.
India
The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be o ...
personnel plus 350,000
reserve
Reserve or reserves may refer to:
Places
* Reserve, Kansas, a US city
* Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish
* Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County
* Reserve, New Mexico, a US ...
and trained personnel that can be mobilized when needed, bringing the country's military manpower to about 960,000 total personnel. These numbers do not include
Law Enforcement Force or
Basij
The Basij ( fa, بسيج, lit. "The Mobilization"), Niru-ye Moghāvemat-e Basij ( fa, نیروی مقاومت بسیج, "Resistance Mobilization Force"), full name Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin ( fa, سازمان بسیج مستضعفین, "The ...
.
Most of Iran's imported weapons consist of
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
systems purchased before the
1979 Islamic Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
, with limited purchases from the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
in the 1990s following the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Counci ...
. However, the country has since then launched a robust domestic rearmament program, and its inventory has become
increasingly indigenous. According to Iranian officials, most of the country's military hardware is domestically manufactured, and the country had already become an exporter of arms by the 2000s. Unable to import weapon systems from abroad due to
international and U.S. sanctions, and suffering from an increasingly aging air force fleet, Iran has invested considerable funds into an ambitious
ballistic and cruise missile program for long-range strike capability, and has manufactured different types of arms and munitions, including
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful ...
s,
armoured vehicles
Military vehicles are commonly armoured (or armored; see spelling differences) to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, shells, rockets, and missiles, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include armoured fight ...
and
drones, as well as various naval assets and aerial defense systems.
Iran's
ballistic missile and space program is an internationally hot political topic over which it has consistently refused to negotiate. Iranian authorities state that the country's missile program is not designed to deliver
nuclear payloads, but used only for
surgical strikes, and is therefore not relevant to any
nuclear negotiations with the
P5+1.
The
Iranian drone program has also raised concerns across the Middle East and much of the Western world, especially with proliferation among Iranian-allied forces in the Middle East, as well as limited exports to countries hostile to the U.S. According to
U.S. Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...
chief
Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the U.S is "for the first time since the Korean War operating without complete air superiority" due to threats posed by Iranian drones.
All branches of the armed forces fall under the command of the
General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces. The
Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics is responsible for planning
logistics
Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...
and funding of the armed forces and is not involved with in-the-field military operational command. The commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the
Supreme Leader.
History
After the
coup in 1953, Iran began purchasing some weapons from
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and other countries of the
Western Bloc. Later on, Iran began establishing its own armaments industry; its efforts in this remained largely unrecognized internationally, until recently.
Following the
Iranian revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...
in 1979, deteriorating relations with the U.S. resulted in international sanctions led by the US, including an arms embargo being imposed on Iran.
Revolutionary Iran was taken by surprise by the Iraqi invasion that began the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Counci ...
of 1980–1988. During this conflict, there were several conflicts against the United States. From 1987, the
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Ta ...
sought to stop Iranian
mine-laying
A minelayer is any warship, submarine or military aircraft deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for installing controll ...
vessels from blocking the international
sea lane
A sea lane, sea road or shipping lane is a regularly used navigable route for large water vessels (ships) on wide waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation wi ...
s through the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...
in
Operation Prime Chance
Operation Prime Chance (August 1987 – June 1989) was a United States Special Operations Command operation intended to protect U.S.-flagged oil tankers from Iranian attack during the Iran–Iraq War. The operation took place roughly at the sa ...
. The operation lasted until 1989. On April 18, 1988, the US retaliated for the Iranian
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the econom ...
of the in
Operation Praying Mantis
Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on 18 April 1988, by the United States Armed Forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian naval mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq War and the subsequent dam ...
. Simultaneously, the Iranian armed forces had to learn to maintain and keep operational, their large stocks of US-built equipment and weaponry without outside help, due to the American-led sanctions. However, Iran was able to obtain limited amounts of American-made armaments, when it was able to buy American spare parts and weaponry for its armed forces, during the
Iran–Contra affair
The Iran–Contra affair ( fa, ماجرای ایران-کنترا, es, Caso Irán–Contra), often referred to as the Iran–Contra scandal, the McFarlane affair (in Iran), or simply Iran–Contra, was a political scandal in the United States ...
. At first, deliveries came via Israel and later, from the US.
The Iranian government established a five-year rearmament program in 1989 to replace worn-out weaponry from the Iran–Iraq War. Between 1989 and 1992, Iran spent $10 billion on arms, some of which were designed to prevent other states' naval vessels from accessing the sea, including marines and long-range Soviet planes capable of attacking aircraft carriers.
A former military-associated police force, the
Iranian Gendarmerie
The Iranian Gendarmerie, also called the Government Gendarmerie ( fa, ژاندارمری دولتی, Žāndārmirī-ye Daulatī), was the first rural police force, and subsequent modern highway patrol, in Iran. A paramilitary force, it also played ...
, was merged with the National Police (
Shahrbani
''Shahrbani'' ( fa, شهربانی, Šahrbānī, lit=urban protection), formerly called ''Nazmiyeh'' ( fa, نظمیه, Naẓmīya, lit=order agency), was a law enforcement force in Iran with police duties inside cities. Founded during Qajar dynast ...
) and
Islamic Revolution Committees
Islamic Revolution Committees or Committees of Islamic Revolution ( fa, کمیتههای انقلاب اسلامی, Komitehāye Enqelābe Eslāmi), simply known as the Committee ( fa, کمیته, Komīte), was a law enforcement force in Iran a ...
in 1990.
In 1991, the Iranian armed forces received a number of Iraqi military aircraft being evacuated from the Persian
Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
of that year; most of which were incorporated into the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.
From 2003, there have been repeated US and British allegations that Iranian forces have been covertly involved in the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
. In 2004, Iranian armed forces
took Royal Navy personnel prisoner, on the
Shatt al-Arab
The Shatt al-Arab ( ar, شط العرب, lit=River of the Arabs; fa, اروندرود, Arvand Rud, lit=Swift River) is a river of some in length that is formed at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the town of al-Qurnah in ...
(Arvand Rud in Persian) river, between Iran and Iraq. They were released three days later following diplomatic discussions between the UK and Iran.
In 2007, Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces also
took prisoner Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
personnel when a boarding party from was seized in the waters between Iran and Iraq, in the Persian Gulf. They were released thirteen days later.
According to
Juan Cole, Iran has never launched an "aggressive war" in modern history, and its leadership adheres to a doctrine of "no
first strike".
The country's military budget is the lowest per capita in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...
region besides the
UAE.
Since 1979, there have been no foreign military bases present in Iran. According to Article 146 of the
Iranian Constitution
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran ( fa, قانون اساسی جمهوری اسلامی ایران, ''Qanun-e Asasi-ye Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran'') was adopted by referendum on 2 and 3 December 1979, and went into force replac ...
, the establishment of any foreign military base in the country is forbidden, even for peaceful purposes.
On 4 December 2011, an American
RQ-170 Sentinel
The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). While the USAF has released few detai ...
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
was captured by Iranian forces near the city of
Kashmar
Kashmar () ( fa, کاشمر, also Romanized as ''Kāshmar''; formerly ''Keshmar'', '' Torshīz'' or ''Soltanabad'') is a city and the capital of Kashmar County, in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran. Kashmar is located near the river Shesh Tara ...
in northeastern
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.
In 2012, it was announced that Iran's
Quds Force is operating inside Syria providing the government of Bashar al-Assad with intelligence and direction against rebel opposition.
In December 2012, Iran stated it had captured an American
ScanEagle UAV that violated its airspace over the Persian Gulf. Iran later stated it had also captured two other ScanEagles.
In November 2015, Iranian special forces assisted in the
rescue of a Russian pilot that was shot down by Turkey, over Syria.
In April 2016, Iran sent advisors from the
65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade to Syria in support of the government.
In 2016, Revolutionary Guard forces
captured US Navy personnel when their boats entered Iranian territorial waters off the coast of Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf. They were released the next day following diplomatic discussions between the US and Iran.
In March 2021 state TV in Iran showed footage of a “missile city” armed with ballistic and cruise weapons described as "a new Revolutionary Guard base" along the Gulf coast.
Commanders
* Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei
Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei ( fa, سید علی حسینی خامنهای, ; born 19 April 1939) is a Twelver Shia '' marja and the second and current Supreme Leader of Iran, in office since 1989. He was previously the third presiden ...
(Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic, in fa, فرمانده کل قوا, Fermānande-ye Kol-e Qavā)
* Brigadier General
Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani
Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani ( fa, محمدرضا قرایی آشتیانی) is a member of the Iranian military with the rank of Brigadier General who has served as the minister of defence since 2021. Ashtiani was sworn in on August 25, 2021, r ...
() (Minister of Defence)
* Brigadier General
Ahmad Vahidi () (Minister of Interior)
* Major General
Mohammad Bagheri () (Commander of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, in fa, رئیس ستاد کل نیروهای مسلح)
* Brigadier General
Aziz Nasirzadeh
Aziz Nasirzadeh ( fa, عزیز نصیرزاده; born 1965) is an Islamic Republic of Iran Army Brigadier General and Deputy of Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran since September 2021. He was the commander of the ...
() (Deputy commander of General Staff of the Armed Forces, in fa, جانشین رئیس ستاد کل نیروهای مسلح)
* Major General
Yahya Rahim Safavi
Yahya "Rahim" Safavi ( fa, یحیی (رحیم) صفوی, born 1952) is an Iranian military commander who served as the chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Early life
Safavi was born in 1952 in the city of Isfahan, Iran.
Ca ...
() (Senior Military Advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution)
*
Islamic Republic of Iran Army
, founded =
, current_form = (Islamic Republic)
, disbanded =
, branches =
, headquarters = Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Tehran
, website =
, commander-in-chief = Maj. Gen ...
** Major General
Abdolrahim Mousavi
Sayyed Abdolrahim Mousavi ( fa, سید عبدالرحیم موسوی) is an Iranian military officer who is Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army since 21 August 2017. He was formerly deputy Chief of General Staff of Armed Forc ...
() (Commander-in-Chief of the Army, in fa, فرمانده کل ارتش)
** Brigadier General
Mohammad-Hossein Dadras () (Deputy Commander in Chief of the Army)
** Rear admiral
Habibollah Sayyari () (Chief of the Army Joint Headquarters)
** Brigadier General
Kioumars Heydari
Kioumars Heydari ( fa, کیومرث حیدری) is an Iranian general. , he is Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces.
References
Living people
Islamic Republic of Iran Army brigadier generals
Place of birth missing (living ...
() (Commander of the Army Ground Forces)
** Brigadier General
Hamid Vahedi
Hamid refers to two different but related Arabic given names, both of which come from the Arabic triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D (ِِح-م-د):
# (Arabic: حَامِد ''ḥāmid'') also spelled Haamed, Hamid or Hamed, and in Turkish Hamit; i ...
() (Commander of the Air Force)
** Brigadier General
Alireza Sabahifard () (Commander of Air Defense Force)
** Rear admiral
Shahram Irani () (Commander of the Navy)
*
IRGC
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...
** Major General
Hossein Salami () (Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, in fa, فرمانده کل سپاه پاسداران)
** Rear admiral
Ali Fadavi () (Deputy Commander of the IRGC)
** Brigadier General
Mohammad Reza Naqdi () (Chief of the IRGC Joint Headquarters)
** Brigadier General
Mohammad Pakpour () (Commander of IRGC Ground Force)
** Brigadier General
Amir Ali Hajizadeh () (Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force)
** Rear admiral
Alireza Tangsiri () (Commander of IRGC Navy)
** Brigadier General
Esmail Qaani (Commander of
Quds Force)
** Brigadier General
Gholamreza Soleimani () (Commander of the
Basij
The Basij ( fa, بسيج, lit. "The Mobilization"), Niru-ye Moghāvemat-e Basij ( fa, نیروی مقاومت بسیج, "Resistance Mobilization Force"), full name Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin ( fa, سازمان بسیج مستضعفین, "The ...
Resistance Force)
[
* Law Enforcement Force
** Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari () (Commander-in-Chief of the General Command of the Law Enforcement, in fa, فرمانده کل انتظامی)
]
Structure
* Military Office of the Supreme Leader
** General Staff of the Armed Forces
*** Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...
(''Sepah'')
**** Ground Force
**** Basij
The Basij ( fa, بسيج, lit. "The Mobilization"), Niru-ye Moghāvemat-e Basij ( fa, نیروی مقاومت بسیج, "Resistance Mobilization Force"), full name Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin ( fa, سازمان بسیج مستضعفین, "The ...
**** Quds Force
**** Aerospace Force
**** Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
*** Islamic Republic of Iran Army
, founded =
, current_form = (Islamic Republic)
, disbanded =
, branches =
, headquarters = Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Tehran
, website =
, commander-in-chief = Maj. Gen ...
(''Artesh'')
**** Ground Force
**** Air Defense
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...
**** Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
**** Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
*** General Command of the Law Enforcement (Police)
* The Iranian regular military, or Islamic Republic of Iran Army
, founded =
, current_form = (Islamic Republic)
, disbanded =
, branches =
, headquarters = Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Tehran
, website =
, commander-in-chief = Maj. Gen ...
, consists of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces
The Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces ( fa, نیروی زمینی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران, ''Niroo-ye Zamini-ye Artesh-e Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran''), acronymed NEZAJA ( fa, نزاجا, NEZEJA) are the ground forc ...
, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
, ''Daryādelān''"Seahearts"
, patron =
, motto = fa, راه ما، راه حسین است, ''Rāh-e ma, rāh-e hoseyn ast''"''Our Path, Is Hussain's Path''"
, colors =
...
,["The Consequences of a Strike on Iran: The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy"]
''Global Bearings,'' 15 December 2011. , and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force. The regular armed forces have an estimated 398,000 personnel: the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces
The Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces ( fa, نیروی زمینی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران, ''Niroo-ye Zamini-ye Artesh-e Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran''), acronymed NEZAJA ( fa, نزاجا, NEZEJA) are the ground forc ...
with 350,000, of which 220,000 are conscripts; the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
, ''Daryādelān''"Seahearts"
, patron =
, motto = fa, راه ما، راه حسین است, ''Rāh-e ma, rāh-e hoseyn ast''"''Our Path, Is Hussain's Path''"
, colors =
...
with 18,000, and the with 37,000 airmen
An airman is a member of an air force or air arm of a nation's armed forces. In certain air forces, it can also refer to a specific enlisted rank. An airman can also be referred as a soldier in other definitions.
In civilian aviation usage, ...
. The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force is a branch split off from the IRIAF and has 15,000 personnel.
* The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...
, or Revolutionary Guards, has an estimated 190,000 personnel in five branches: Its own Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
, Aerospace Force, and Ground Forces; and the Quds Force (special forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equi ...
).
** The Basij
The Basij ( fa, بسيج, lit. "The Mobilization"), Niru-ye Moghāvemat-e Basij ( fa, نیروی مقاومت بسیج, "Resistance Mobilization Force"), full name Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin ( fa, سازمان بسیج مستضعفین, "The ...
is a paramilitary volunteer force controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Its membership is a matter of controversy. Iranian sources claim a membership of 12.6 million, including women, of which perhaps 600,000 are combat capable. There are a claimed 2,500 battalions of which some are composed of full-time personnel. GlobalSecurity.org quotes a 2005 study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. CSIS was founded as the Center for Strategic and International Studies of Georgetown University in 1962. The center conducts policy ...
estimating 90,000 active-duty full-time uniformed members, 300,000 reservists, and a total of 11 million men that can be mobilized if need be.[GlobalSecurity.org]
. GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved on 2014-06-09.
Cyberwarfare
It has been reported that Iran is one of the five countries that has a cyber-army capable of conducting cyber-warfare operations. It has also been reported that Iran has immensely increased its cyberwarfare
Cyberwarfare is the use of cyber attacks against an enemy state, causing comparable harm to actual warfare and/or disrupting vital computer systems. Some intended outcomes could be espionage, sabotage, propaganda, manipulation or economic ...
capability since the post presidential election un-rest. Furthermore, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
has accused the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
of having initiated a cyber war against Iran, through websites such as Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
and YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
and employing a hacker brigade for the purpose of fomenting unrest in Iran. It has also been reported in early 2010, that two new garrisons for cyberwarfare have been established at Zanjan and Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Region, Isfahan Province, Iran. It is lo ...
.[BBC فارسی - ايران - قرارگاه های 'جنگ نرم' در اصفهان و زنجان راه اندازی شد]
. Bbc.co.uk (1970-01-01). Retrieved on 2014-06-09.
Nuclear program
Fifth major branch of IRGC Nuclear Command Corps and Nuclear Security and Protection Corps was incorporated publicly 16 March 2022.
Size
Budget
Iran's 2021 defense budget was estimated to be $25.0 billion by IISS
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England.
The 2017 Global Go To Thi ...
.
Defense industry
Under the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
, title = Shahanshah Aryamehr Bozorg Arteshtaran
, image = File:Shah_fullsize.jpg
, caption = Shah in 1973
, succession = Shah of Iran
, reign = 16 September 1941 – 11 February 1979
, coronation = 26 Octob ...
, Iran's military industry was limited to assembly of foreign weapons. In the assembly lines that were put up by American firms, such as Bell
A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...
, Litton and Northrop, Iranian workers put together a variety of helicopters, aircraft, guided missiles, electronic components and tanks.[Dar Al Hayat]
. Dar Al Hayat. Retrieved on 2014-06-09.
In 1973, the Iran Electronics Industries (IEI) was established. The company was set up in a first attempt to organize the assembly and repair of foreign-delivered weapons.[NTI: Country Overviews: Iran: Missile Chronology]
The Iranian Defense Industries Organization was the first to succeed in taking a step into what could be called a military industry by reverse engineering Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
RPG-7
The RPG-7 (russian: link=no, РПГ-7, Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт, Ruchnoy Protivotankoviy Granatomyot) is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Th ...
, BM-21, and SAM-7
The 9K32 Strela-2 (russian: Cтрела, "arrow"; NATO reporting name SA-7 Grail) is a light-weight, shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missile (or MANPADS) system. It is designed to target aircraft at low altitudes with passive infrared homing guid ...
missiles in 1979.[
Nevertheless, most of Iran's weapons before the ]Islamic revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...
were imported from the United States and Europe. Between 1971 and 1975, the Shah
Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...
went on a buying spree, ordering $8 billion in weapons from the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
alone. This alarmed the United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
, which strengthened a 1968 law on arms exports in 1976 and renamed it the Arms Export Control Act. Still, the United States continued to sell large amounts of weapons to Iran until the 1979 Islamic Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...
.[. cdi.org. May 22, 1994]
After the Islamic revolution, Iran found itself severely isolated and lacking technological expertise. Because of economic sanctions and a weapons embargo put on Iran by the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, it was forced to rely on its domestic arms industry for weapons and spare parts, since there were very few countries willing to
do business with Iran.[Procurement: November 3, 2004]
. Strategypage.com (2004-11-03). Retrieved on 2014-06-09.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...
were put in charge of creating what is today known as the Iranian military industry. Under their command, Iran's military industry was enormously expanded, and with the Ministry of Defense
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...
pouring investment into the missile industry, Iran soon accumulated a vast arsenal of missiles.[
Since 1992, it has also produced its own ]tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful ...
s, armored personnel carriers
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
Ac ...
, radar system
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weat ...
s, guided missiles, marines
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
, military vessels and fighter planes.[Iran Launches Production of Stealth ]
. FOXNews.com (2005-05-10). Retrieved on 2014-06-09. Iran is also producing its own submarines.
In recent years, official announcements have highlighted the development of weapons such as the Fajr-3 (MIRV), Hoot
Hoot may refer to:
Publications
* ''Hoot'' (novel), a young adult novel by Carl Hiaasen
* ''Hoot'', a 1996 children's novel by Jane Hissey
* ''Hoot'' (comics), a British magazine published from 1985 to 1986
* ''The Brandeis Hoot'', a student ne ...
, Kowsar
Kowsar () is a medium-range, land-based anti-ship missile made by Iran. It can defeat electronic jamming systems and "cannot be thrown off course", according to Iranian officials.
The Kowsar designation apparently (Missile Defense Advocacy Alli ...
, Fateh-110, Shahab-3
The Shahab-3 ( fa, شهاب ۳, Šahâb 3; meaning "meteor-3") is a liquid-propelled medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) developed by Iran and based on the North Korean Nodong-1. The Shahab-3 has a range of ; a MRBM variant can now reach (ca ...
missile systems and a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controlle ...
, at least one of which Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
claims has been used to spy on its territory.British Broadcasting Corporation #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, 7 December 2004 In 2006, an Iranian UAV acquired and allegedly tracked the American aircraft carrier for 25 minutes without being detected, before returning safely to its base.
On November 2, 2012, Iran's Brigadier General Hassan Seifi reported that the Iranian Army had achieved self-suffiency in producing military equipment, and that the abilities of Iranian scientists have enabled the country to make significant progress in this field. He was quoted saying, "Unlike Western countries which hide their new weapons and munitions from all, the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army is not afraid of displaying its latest military achievements and all countries must become aware of Iran's progress in producing weaponry."
, which can be used for reconnaissance and combat operations. Iran has also claimed to have downed,
and later reverse-engineered US and Israeli drones. Iranian drones have seen extensive combat during the
, mostly against Saudi targets. Some time after the beginning of
, the U.S reported that Iran was supplying Russia with military drones.
s. Iranian state television reported "dozens of missiles were fired including
missiles. The missiles had ranges from 300 km to up to 2,000 km. Iranian experts have made some changes to Shahab-3 missiles installing cluster
s in them with the capacity to carry 1,400 bombs." These launches came after some
.
Iran is also believed to have started the development of an ICBM/IRBM missile project, known as