This is a list of

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 equip ...

units in

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 ...

ian

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

and

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

. The name can refer to members of regular units who have successfully completed

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or Ranger training courses and

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

s trained as

Frogman A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, comb ...

, or the hand-selected and highly trained members serving in special forces.

Terminology

''Niruye vizheh'' (نیروی ویژه), plural ''niruhaye vizheh'' (نیروهای ویژه) is the Persian term for " special force". This term is used in the official name for the

65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade ( fa, تیپ ۶۵ نیروهای ویژه هوابرد), or the ''NOHED'' Brigade (), is an airborne, special forces unit of the Iranian Army established in 1959. The unit's first operation was during the Dhof ...

''Takavar'' (تکاور), plural ''Takavaran'' (تکاوران), literally meaning "attack-trooper", is the equivalent of "

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". The word "Commando" (کماندو) is also used in Persian. The term "Ranger" (رنجر) is also used in some Army units. ''Tofangdārān-e daryyi'' (تفنگداران دریائی) or ''takavaran-e daryayi'' (تکاوران دریایی) means "

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 (refle ...

". The word ''havabord'' (هوابرد) is used to refer to an

airborne Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...

unit.

Takavar units

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

In 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 ...

, one of its 5 branches, the elite

Quds Force The Quds Force ( fa, نیروی قدس, niru-ye qods, Jerusalem Force) is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) specializing in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. U.S. Army's Iraq War ...

specialises in

extraterritorial operation An extraterritorial operation in international law is a law enforcement or military operation that takes place outside the territory or jurisdiction of the state whose forces are conducting the operation, generally within the territory of another s ...

s. In the

Ground Forces An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

, the Saberin Battalions (containing the Saberin Takavor Brigade, 110th Salman Farsi Special Operations Brigade, and the

33rd Al-Mahdi Airborne Brigade 33rd Al-Mahdi Division ( fa, لشکر 33 المهدی (عج), named after the twelfth Shia Imam, Al-Mahdi) was a brigade of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It was established on 24 February 1982 before Operation Fath ol-Mobin in the Iran– ...

) are the most famous special units. The

Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( fa, نیروی دریایی سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, niru-ye daryâyi-e sepâh-e pâsdârân-e enghelâb-e eslâmi; officially abbreviated NEDSA ( fa, ندسا), als ...

has its own Special Units of marines.

Army

;Ground Forces Iranian green beret commandos (1)

Ground Forces of Islamic Republic of Iran Army 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 ...

units whose members are trained at Lashkarak Takavar Training Centre: * 23rd Takavar Division based in Parandak * 58th Takavar Division (''Zolfaghar'' Division) based in

Shahroud Shahrood ( fa, شاهرود, also Romanized as Shâhrūd, and Shahroud; also known as Shârūd) is a city and capital of Shahrood County, Semnan Province, Iran. Situated about an altitude of 1345 m, it is located at latitude 36°25'N, longi ...

* 25th Takavar Brigade based in

Pasveh Pasveh ( fa, پسوه, also Romanized as Pasevh and Pasooh; also known as Qal‘eh Paswah and Qal‘eh-ye Pasveh) is a village in Lahijan-e Sharqi Rural District, Lajan District, Piranshahr County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 cen ...

* 35th Takavar Brigade based in

Kermanshah Kermanshah ( fa, کرمانشاه, Kermânšâh ), also known as Kermashan (; romanized: Kirmaşan), is the capital of Kermanshah Province, located from Tehran in the western part of Iran. According to the 2016 census, its population is 946,68 ...

* 45th Takavar Brigade based in

Shushtar Shushtar ( fa, شوشتر; also Romanized as Shūshtar and Shūstar and Shooshtar) is a city and capital of Shushtar County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. Shushtar is an ancient fortress city, approximately from Ahvaz, the centre of the province. ...

55th Airborne Brigade 55th Airborne Brigade of Shiraz ( fa, تیپ ۵۵ هوابرد, Tīp-e 55-e Havābord) is an airborne separate brigade of Ground Forces of Islamic Republic of Iran Army based in Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the fifth-most- ...

based in

Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...

(''NOHED'' Brigade) based in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

Navy

Velayat 94 Military exercise 03 by Mbazri

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 = , ...

marines ( fa, تکاوران دریایی) whose members are trained at Manjil Takavar Training Centre: * 1st Marine Brigade (''Imam Hossein'' Brigade) based in

Bandar Abbas Bandar Abbas or Bandar-e ‘Abbās ( fa, , , ), is a port city and capital of Hormozgān Province on the southern coast of Iran, on the Persian Gulf. The city occupies a strategic position on the narrow Strait of Hormuz (just across from Musan ...

* 2nd Marine Brigade (''Hazrat Rasul-i-Akram'' Brigade) based in

Bushehr Bushehr, Booshehr or Bushire ( fa, بوشهر ; also romanised as ''Būshehr'', ''Bouchehr'', ''Buschir'' and ''Busehr''), also known as Bandar Bushehr ( fa, ; also romanised as ''Bandar Būshehr'' and ''Bandar-e Būshehr''), previously Antioc ...

* 3rd Marine Brigade (''Hamza Sayyid-ush-Shuhda'' Brigade) based in Konarak During the reign of the last Shah (king) of Iran, much of the naval training was created by members of the Soviet Union's

Spetsnaz Spetsnaz are special forces in numerous post-Soviet states. (The term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or .) Historically, the term ''spetsnaz'' referred to the So ...

and the British

Special Boat Service The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Roya ...

. Training is at least a 12-month process. After the recruit demonstrated the minimum physical requirements, he is sent to a collection of schools.

Police

In the

Law Enforcement Force of Islamic Republic of Iran , mottotranslated = "Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity" ( Heraldry slogan) , formedyear = 1991 , formedmonthday = April 1 , preceding1 = Shahrbani (1913–1991)Gendarmerie (1910–1991)Committee (1979–1991) , em ...

, special forces are known as ''Yegan Vijeh'' ( fa, يگان ويژه). The Anti-Terror Special Force (''NOPO'') is the most elite unit within the force.

References

External links

{{Special forces of Iran