Iran’s military, world leading missile-drone arsenal: Overview
Find out more about Iran’s military capabilities and its command chain, as the world anticipates its response to “Israel”.
Iran’s anticipated response to the malicious Israeli attack on the country’s embassy has prompted global media to analyze and discuss Tehran’s military capabilities.
Among global outlets are Western and Israeli outlets, which have put extensive and multiple reports, encompassing opinion pieces, analysis reports, and by-the-hour updates on the situation. The latest report published by The New York Times discussed Iran’s military capabilities and the weapons that make its armed forces exceptional.
How many military personnel does Iran have?
Citing the International Institute for Strategic Studies, NYT said that the Iranian Armed Forces are among the largest in West Asia, having at least 580,000 active-duty personnel and about 200,000 trained reservists, which are distributed among traditional forces and the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).
It is worth noting that both the military and the IRGC have separate and active ground, air, naval, and missile forces with the IRGC’s capabilities fitted for different tasks, such as defending Iran’s borders, engaging in offensive missions, and supporting regional allies under the umbrella of the Axis of Resistance.
Who makes the high-level decisions in Iran?
The General Staff of the Armed Forces is at the top of the Iranian military’s hierarchy and is headed by the IRGC’s Major General Mohammad Bagheri, who was appointed by the Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei to the position. On that note, it is worth noting that Sayyed Khamenei, being elected to the highest decision-making role in the country, has the final say on strategic military decisions in the country.
