| Islamic Republic of Iran Army | |
|---|---|
| ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران ARTEŠE JOMHURIYE ESLÂMIYE IRÂN | |
 Seal of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army | |
  Flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army | |
| Motto | |
| Founded |
|
| Current form | 1979; 46 years ago (1979)(Islamic Republic of Iran) |
| Service branches |
|
| Headquarters | Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters,Tehran |
| Website | aja |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Maj. Gen.Amir Hatami[6] |
| Deputy Commander-in-Chief | Brig. Gen.Mohammad-Hossein Dadras |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18[7] |
| Conscription | 21 months |
| Active personnel | 340,000[8]
|
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | $18.4 billion (2024)[9] |
| Related articles | |
| History | |
| Ranks | Rank insignia of the Iranian military |
TheIslamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces (Persian:ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران,romanized: Arteš Jumhuriye-e Eslâmi-e Irân),[10] acronymedAJA (Persian:آجا), commonly simplified as theIranian Armed Forces orArtesh, is the conventional armed forces ofIran and one of two of Iran's armed services (the other being the Revolutionary Guards, the Pasdaran). It is tasked to protect theterritorial integrity of the country from external and internal threats and toproject power.[11]
The Artesh has its ownJoint Staff[12] which coordinates its four separate service branches: theIslamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces, theIslamic Republic of Iran Air Force, theIslamic Republic of Iran Navy and theIslamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force.[11]
In addition to the army, Iran also maintains theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a separate military force established after the1979 Islamic Revolution.[13] It was established by a decree of May 1979.[13] The IRGC is tasked with safeguarding the ideological foundations of the Islamic Republic and defending the regime against internal and external threats. It operates its own ground, naval, and air units, as well as the eliteQuds Force, which is responsible for extraterritorial operations. The IRGC functions independently of the Artesh and often holds significant influence in strategic, security, and economic affairs within the country.[citation needed]
The dual military structure of the Artesh and theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has led to structural inefficiencies, these include overlapping command hierarchies, redundant logistics networks, and parallel military systems across all service branches.[citation needed] This setup has been criticized for its lack of transparency, limited parliamentary oversight, and its questionable contribution to national defense.[citation needed]
A U.S.Director of Central Intelligence approved estimate wrote in December 1954:[14]
Since 1950 the US has assisted in efforts to modernize and improve the armed forces through maintenance of military missions to the army and thegendarmerie, and through provision of military equipment. Of the $110 million in such equipment aid allocated thus far, about $76 million had been shipped by mid-1954. The mission to the army is to be augmented by five U.S. training teams at brigade or division level in early 1955. The Iranian armed forces consist of a conscript army of 120,000; a gendarmerie or rural police force of 20,000; and a small air force, navy, and frontier guard, the latter for border patrol and customs duties. The Air Force, Navy, and Frontier Guard are subordinate units of the Army. The Gendarmerie is under the control of the Ministry of the Interior, except in time of war, when it comes under army command.
The Iranian army has fought against two major invasions in contemporary times. The1941 invasion by theAllies of World War II resulted in a decisive loss for the Iranian forces, the deposition ofIran's Shah and five years of subsequent occupation,[3] while the1980 Iraqi invasion began theIran–Iraq War, which lasted almost eight years and ended instatus quo ante bellum. The army has also been actively engaged in quelling tribal and separatist rebellions beginning in the 1940s in order to protect Iran's territorial integrity.[3]
From 1972 to 1976, Iranian troops were sent to Oman to fight with theRoyal Army of Oman against theDhofar Rebellion.[3] In 1976, a contingent was sent to Pakistan to assist thePakistan Army against theInsurgency in Balochistan.[3] Iranian personnel were also reportedly present in theVietnam War.[15]
In 2016, members of thespecial forces of Iran were deployed to fight in theSyrian civil war.[15]
The Iranian Army participated inUnited Nations peacekeeping missions in the 1970s. It sent a battalion to replace Peruvian forces in theGolan Heights as part of theUnited Nations Disengagement Observer Force. After the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the bulk of the forces were part of theUnited Nations Interim Force in Lebanon until late 1978. Replaced by Finnish forces, Iranian peacekeepers were withdrawn in 1979 followingthe Islamic revolution.[16][17]
In 1993, the Iranian Army reestablished its professional peacekeeping units and declared that they are ready to be dispatched at the UN's directive.[18] Since then, Iran has deployed forces inEthiopia and Eritrea in 2003 and theAfrican Union Mission in Darfur in 2012.[citation needed]
The Iranian Army's maritime branch has launched several missions to fightpiracy off the coast of Somalia,[19] securing the release of many other countries' sailors.[20]
The Iranian Army has deployed forces to help theRed Lion and Sun andRed Crescent societies in rescue and relief missions after domestic natural disasters, including clearing roads, reestablishing communications, supplying goods, airlifting equipment, transporting casualties and personnel and setting upfield hospitals and post-hospital care centres.[21][22]
In 2021, the Iranian Army had announced that it will launch a satellite into space.[23]
| Branch | Insignia | Flag | Uniform colors and patterns | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service | Combat | Specialized | |||
| Ground Force |  |  |  |   |    |
| Air Defence Force |  |  |  |   | |
| Air Force |  |  |  |   |   |
| Navy |  |  |  |   |    |
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Commanders ofIran's regular military | ||
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