Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Forces

The IRGC also maintains a structure of infantry and armoured formations. NEZSA also include artillery and engineer units and an airborne brigade. The IRGC Ground Forces have recently announced efforts to form an air assault unit.[3]

According to Marie Donovan, Nicholas Carl, and Frederick W. Kagan, IRGC Ground Forces military formations are in service as cadre organizations, with officers and NCOs, but without or with few enlisted personnel. These commands and formations may be complemented by Basij's Imam Hussein infantry battalions or foreign militia and military units.[11]

Some IRGC Ground Forces have a readiness preparation higher than others.

The Imam Hussein battalions are mixed IRGC-Basij units, with one battalion assigned to each region within a province.[12] Imam Hussein battalions are infantry units used for internal military defence as well as for missions beyond Iranian borders.[11] Imam Hossein Battalions deployed to Syria with IRGC operational division and brigade cadres.

Alongside Imam Hussein battalions, each Provincial command establishes at least one Basij Fatehin unit in its own boundary. While being light infantry units, Fatehin units have also been used as anti-riot force multipliers to law enforcement.[12]

The IRGC Ground Forces have several elite units that form one single unit at a brigade level, the Saberin Unit, established in 2000. The Saberin Unit is a force highly trained in a number of specialized capabilities.[13] Some IRGC divisions and brigades have separate Saberin units directly subordinated to them.[3] The IRGC has also designated certain formations as light infantry commandos, or takavaran.[3] In 2017 the NESZA set up a drone centre.[13]

The Saberin Unit ranks its commandos according to three levels:[13]

• Rapid Response (Vakonesh-e Sarie);
• Special Force (Nirooy-e Vijeh);
• Special Operations Force (Nirooy-e Makhsoos).

A Mohajer-2 drone

The Aviation Unit (Yegan-e Havanirooz) of the IRGC Ground Forces is the IRGC's most important helicopter unit.[13] It was established in 2015, by order of Ali Khamenei.[13]

The Aviation Unit consists of four subdivisions:[13]

• Advanced Aviation Training Center;
• Helicopter Research Center;
• Helicopter Professional Repair Center;
• Seyyed-al-Shohada Aviation Base.

The Sar-Allah Headquarters is a command directly subordinated to the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground. It is in charge of security for Tehran area[15] and doubles as Headquarters with territorial responsibilities.[11]

The Sar-Allah Headquarters is among the most important IRGC commands in Iran, tasked with protecting key institutions and the offices of the Government of Iran. The Sar-Allah Headquarters is also tasked with thwarting all threats against Tehran.[16]

Officially, Sarallah's commander is the same as the IRGC commander. The Sar-Allah Headquarters, however, has a deputy commander in charge of daily activities.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Forces maintain ten regional headquarters (Gharargah), with the Sar-Allah headquarters in charge for Tehran and Alborz provinces as well as Tehran City. These headquarters are responsible for coordinating the activities of both operational and territorial units, being similar to corps-level commands.[11]

This territorial organization, according to the Mosaic Doctrine and the Layered Defence approach, is focused heavily on security against internal threats and on "soft war" operations.[11][12]

Flag of Muhammad Rasul Allah Corps of IRGC in charge for Tehran.

Below the multi-provincial Headquarters, there are 32 provincial or city commands.[12][13][17] These new command centers are intended to operate flexibly and independently from Tehran.[19]^: 19

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Forces structure includes 32 separate territorial commands. These territorial commands, styled "Corps" (Sepah), have been established in 2008. They are part of the four-layered military doctrine for the defence of Iran.

The Provincial Guard was created to take over the IRGC's responsibilities on the provincial level against any and all threats as well as to enforce and coordinate re-islamization processes in Iran through social welfare programmes.[12][20] Provincial units are composed of the natives of the province in which the IRGC Ground Force members serve.[10]

The territorial commands are 31 Provincial commands and a Tehran city command for a total of 32 commands.[3]

The provincial commands are under direct control and supervision of the IRGC commander, but the Basij are responsible for planning, supporting them logistically, and inspecting their functions.[12] In turn, IRGC territorial commanders have a direct supervision over local Basij organizations[8] and enjoy of authority and autonomy in order to be enabled to independently take action in case of an immediate crisis arising,[12][21]

The Provincial commands do not form an independent command of their own, and as such does not have an independent line in Iran's annual state budget. Financing of provincial commands activity comes from both the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Forces and Basij.[12]

Each Provincial command is composed of three main branches:[12]

• Military command;
• Counterintelligence: primarily responsible for protecting the IRGC personnel against both physical and moral threats and identifying foreign espionage;
• Office of the Representative of the Supreme Leader: responsible for mobilizing, the IRGC and the Basij.

The main anti-riot units are Imam Ali battalions, consisting of both cadre and full members. Imam Ali battalions are responsible for suppressing internal unrest, maintaining public order and for security patrols in the neighborhoods where they operate. Each Imam Ali battalion has a motorcycle unit for rapid deployment purposes.[11][12]

Administratively, an Imam Ali battalion aligns with the Basij district. Imam Ali battalions have their training, education, and logistics centrally coordinated through the Imam Ali Headquarters. Imam Ali battalions in each city have a close relationship with the Iranian police and receive specific anti-riot equipment and training.[12]

Since September 2012, the IRGC and Basij have established small Basij-only Beit al-Muqaddas battalions (for male Basiji) and Kowsar battalions (for female Basiji). These battalions consist of 234 active Basij members in each district. These units are designed to fulfill support roles:[12]

• Around 1,000 of these units are assigned to support Imam Ali riot battalions;
• Around 500 Beit al-Muqaddas (i.e. male-only) battalions are assigned to support Imam Hussein infantry battalions in their military and defence missions in their local area;
• Around 500 battalions are mainly trained for relief and rescue missions under the operational command of the Imam Hadi Headquarters.

Each Provincial command also has a cyberspace division responsible for directing pro-government online voices as well as producing cyberspace propaganda in their own boundary. The intelligence department in each provincial command is directly subordinate to the IRGC Intelligence Organization.[12]