Military

Military#

the military forces of Iran are divided between the Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Sepah):; Artesh: Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Air Force, Air Defense Forces; IRGC: Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Aerospace Force (controls strategic missile force), Qods Force (aka Quds Force; special operations), Cyber Electro…

Forces

the military forces of Iran are divided between the Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Sepah):; Artesh: Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Air Force, Air Defense Forces; IRGC: Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Aerospace Force (controls strategic missile force), Qods Force (aka Quds Force; special operations), Cyber Electronic Command, Basij Paramilitary Forces; Ministry of Interior: Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA); Ministry of Intelligence and Security (2025); note 1: the Artesh primarily focuses on defending Iran’s b…

Personnel

information varies; up to 600,000 total active armed forces personnel; estimated 400,000 Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (350,000 Ground Forces; 18,000 Navy; 40,000 Air Force/Air Defense Forces); up to estimated 190,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (100-150,000 Ground Forces; 20,000 Navy; 15,000 Aerospace Force; 5,000 Qods Force); estimated 90,000 active Basij Paramilitary Forces (2025)

Service age

16 for voluntary military service for men; military service is compulsory for all Iranian men at age 18 or 19 years of age; compulsory service obligation 14-21 months, depending on the location of service; women exempted from conscription but may volunteer (2025)

Expenditures

2% of GDP (2024 est.); 2.3% of GDP (2023 est.); 2.5% of GDP (2022 est.); 2.3% of GDP (2021 est.); 2.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Deployments

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Hierarchy#

Order of battle from the constitutional commander down to the service branches. Refine the boxes and edges to match the current chain of command.

        flowchart TD
  CinC["Commander-in-Chief"]
  MoD["Minister of Defense"]
  CoD["Chief of Defense"]
  Army["Army"]
  Navy["Navy"]
  Air["Air Force"]
  Spec["Special / Strategic"]
  Para["Paramilitary / Gendarmerie"]

  CinC --> MoD
  MoD --> CoD
  CoD --> Army
  CoD --> Navy
  CoD --> Air
  CoD --> Spec
  MoD -.- Para

Industry#

Defense-industrial base. Domestic primes, state arsenals, and joint ventures producing weapons, ammunition, platforms, or sensitive electronics. Operators map these to track procurement, export controls, sanctions exposure, and supply-chain access. Cross-reference SIPRI Arms Industry Database, Jane’s, and the country’s procurement gazette.

Company

Site

Ownership

Products

Notes

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Frequencies#

Military and government radio frequency allocations the operator collects, monitors, or jams. Bands listed by service and primary use. Cross-reference national radio regulator publications, ITU Radio Regulations, Radio Reference, UDXF, and SIGIDWIKI before relying on the entry. Many bands are protected; check OPSEC and legal posture before listening or transmitting.

Service

Band

Frequency

Use

Notes

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Radios#

Tactical and strategic radio sets fielded by the country’s military, intelligence, police, and emergency services. Operators use this to predict modulation, waveform, encryption, and interoperability. Cross-reference Jane’s C4ISR, SIPRI trade register, and vendor catalogues for fielded inventory.

Model

Manufacturer

Band

User

Notes

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Weapons#

Fielded weapon systems across the armed forces, organised by domain. Operators use this to plan threat avoidance, signature collection, and procurement-supply analysis. Cross-reference SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, IISS Military Balance, Oryx, Jane’s, and the country’s own white papers.

Domain

System

Origin

Quantity

Notes

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Small arms#

Small arms in military, police, and civilian hands. Operators use this to identify weapons on contact, predict the grey-market flow, and scope force-on-force engagements. Cross-reference Small Arms Survey, ATT-Monitor, ARES research notes, and the country’s firearms-registry gazette.

Class

Model

Caliber

Origin

User

Notes

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Suppliers#

Foreign weapon suppliers feeding the armed forces, security services, and irregulars in the country. Operators map these to predict resupply, attribute battlefield wreckage, gauge diplomatic dependencies, and identify the procurement officers worth working. Cross-reference SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, UN Register of Conventional Arms, Trade Data Monitor, and country-of-origin export control gazettes.

Supplier

Origin

Items

Period

Notes

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