Iran: Military Personnel
Iran has the largest armed forces in the Middle East. According to the IISS report, the authoritarian regime maintains 580,000 active personnel and 200,000 trained reservists, split between its regular army and the powerful paramilitary force known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Military service is mandatory for men over the age of 18, with Iran requiring two years of service in either the army or the IRGC.
Iran also has an elite unit, the Quds Force, which is responsible for training and funding Tehran’s proxy groups across the region, including in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen.
Air Power
Iran’s fighter fleet is aging, with much of its current inventory dating back to the 1970s, when it was acquired by the former monarch, King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, from the U.S. Due to a lack of parts and continued sanctions by the U.S. and other Western nations, Iran has increasingly relied on domestically produced missiles and drones in recent years.
According to the IISS, Iran has nine squadrons of F-4 and F-5 fighter jets, one squadron of Russian-made Sukhoi-24 jets, and some F-14 and MiG fighter jets.
Despite its outdated fleet, Iran has one of the largest ballistic missile and drone arsenals in the region. The country has produced thousands of missiles, including ballistic missiles with ranges of up to 2,000 kilometres, capable of reaching Israel.
Among its advanced drone technology, Iran’s Shahed-136 is particularly notable, with a range of up to 2,400 kilometres. The Shahed-129 has an estimated range of 1,700 kilometres. Recently, Tehran unveiled a suicide drone, yet to be named, capable of carrying a six-kilogram payload with a range of 40 kilometres.
Iran is also a significant exporter of drones, supplying them to Russia for use in Ukraine, as well as to its proxies, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, as well as to Sudan. Air Defence
Due to military sanctions, Iran has relied primarily on Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft systems. It has also developed its own air defence systems. In 2022, Iran unveiled the Bavar-373, which has radar detection capabilities up to 450 kilometres and can carry Sayyad surface-to-air missiles.
Iran has also developed medium-range air defence systems, including the Arman, Tactical Sayyad and Khordad-15.
Other Capabilities
At sea, Iran has developed high-speed military boats and a number of small submarines, primarily patrolling the Persian Gulf.
Iran has also been pursuing secret nuclear activities. Tehran denies it is trying to build a nuclear bomb, but has developed more uranium than what was allowed in a U.S.-brokered deal in 2015.
Source:nationalpost.com/
Sunday, May 3, 2026
