The possibility of a direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel has once again drawn attention to Iran’s armed forces. Earlier this month, Israel attacked the Iranian diplomatic embassy building in Damascus, the Syrian capital. Killed seven senior Iranian commanders and military personnel. Iran later threatened retaliation.
Here’s a look at Iran’s military and its capabilities.
Why is Iran’s military important now?
Tehran after Israeli attack on Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus Responds to threats to avenge killings its military personnel. Israel says the compound is a legitimate target because military commanders are using it.
U.S. and Israeli officials assessed that Iran’s response was likely to be launched from its own territory.
This is what the Iranians did after President Donald J. Trump ordered the killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani in 2020, Launches ballistic missiles at two U.S. military bases in Iraq and injured more than 100 American soldiers.
israeli official Already told They would retaliate against any Iranian attack, which could trigger more Iranian retaliation and could escalate into a broader regional war. Such a conflict could even drag down the United States, although Washington has made clear it has nothing to do with the Damascus attack.
While Iran is expected to launch an attack on Israel within days, U.S. and Iranian officials said on Friday They did not expect the United States or its military to be targeted.
Regardless, President Biden has Promise “iron” support If Iran attacks, Israel will be protected.
Analysts say Iran’s adversaries, mainly the United States and Israel, have avoided direct military strikes against Iran for decades, not wanting to conflict with Tehran’s sophisticated military apparatus. Instead, Israel and Iran have engaged in a long shadow war through air, sea, land and cyber attacks, and Israel has secretly targeted military and nuclear facilities in Iran and killed commanders and scientists.
“There’s a reason Iran hasn’t been attacked,” said Afshaun Ostovar, associate professor of national security affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and an expert on Iran’s military. “It’s not that Iran’s adversaries are afraid of Iran. They realize that any war against Iran is a very serious war.”
What kind of military threat does Iran pose?
The Iranian Armed Forces is one of the largest armed forces in the Middle East, with at least 580,000 active personnel and approximately 200,000 trained reservists, divided into the traditional army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. based on annual assessment proposed last year by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The Army and Guards each have independent and active ground, air and naval forces, and the Guards are responsible for Iran’s border security. The General Staff of the Armed Forces coordinates the various departments and develops overall strategy.
The Guard also operates the Quds Force, an elite force responsible for arming, training and supporting a network of puppet militias throughout the Middle East known as the “Axis of Resistance.” These militias include Lebanese Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, Syrian and Iraqi militias, as well as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
The commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all major decisions.
While proxy militias are not counted as part of Iran’s armed forces, analysts say they are considered an aligned regional force — combat-ready, heavily armed, and ideologically loyal — if Iran is attacked. They may provide aid to Iran.
“The level of support and the type of systems that Iran is providing to non-state actors in terms of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles is really unprecedented,” said Fabian Hintz, an Iranian military expert at the Institute for International and Strategic Studies in Berlin. ” They can be considered part of Iran’s military capabilities, especially Hezbollah, which has the closest strategic relationship with Iran.”
What types of weapons does Iran possess?
For decades, Iran’s military strategy has been based on deterrence, emphasizing the development of precision long-range missiles, drones and air defense systems. It has built a large fleet of speedboats and a number of smaller submarines capable of disrupting shipping traffic and global energy supplies through the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
Ostovár said Iran has one of the largest arsenals of ballistic missiles and drones in the Middle East. These include cruise and anti-ship missiles, as well as ballistic missiles with ranges of up to 2,000 kilometers or more than 1,200 miles. They have the capability and range to strike any target in the Middle East, including Israel.
In recent years, Tehran has amassed a large number of drones with a range of about 1,200 to 1,550 miles and the ability to fly low to avoid radar, according to experts and Iranian commanders interviewed publicly by state news media.Iran has made no secret of its build-up, showing off a large number of its drones and missiles at military parades, and is ambitious Build a large export business in drones. Russia has used Iranian drones in Ukraine and has been present in the conflict in Sudan.
Experts say the country’s bases and storage facilities are widely spread, buried deep underground and equipped with air defense facilities, making them difficult to destroy through air strikes.
Where does Iran get its weapons?
International sanctions deny Iran access to foreign-made high-tech weapons and military equipment, such as tanks and fighter jets.
During the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s, few countries were willing to sell weapons to Iran. When Ayatollah Khamenei became Iran’s supreme leader in 1989, a year after the war ended, he tasked the Revolutionary Guards with developing the domestic arms industry and investing resources in a move that was widely reported in the Iranian news media. He wants to ensure that Iran never again relies on foreign powers to meet its defense needs.
How do other countries view Iran’s military power, and what are its weaknesses?
Experts say the Iranian military is considered one of the most powerful in the region in terms of equipment, cohesion, experience and personnel quality, but its strength and sophistication lag far behind the armed forces of the United States, Israel and some European countries.
Iran’s greatest weakness is its air force. Most of the country’s aircraft date back to the era of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who led Iran from 1941 to 1979, and many have been scrapped due to a lack of spare parts. Experts say the country also purchased a small fleet from Russia in the 1990s.
Experts say Iran’s tanks and armored vehicles are old and the country has only a few large naval ships. Two intelligence gathering ships, tSaviz and Behshad deployed in the Red Sea have assisted the Houthis U.S. officials said in an effort to identify Israeli-owned ships for attack.
Will Israeli attacks disrupt Iran’s military?
The assassinations are expected to have a short-term impact on Iran’s regional operations, as they would eliminate commanders with years of experience and ties to allied militia leaders. Still, experts say the chain of command of Iran’s armed forces remains intact, and if war breaks out, these leaders will direct strikes against Israel or other targets and defend Iranian territory.
