?How Powerful is Iran’s Military That Soon May Be Unleashed Against Terrorists in Syria
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told media this week that Iran is ready to deploy its military to aid the Syrian government if it were to make such request.
In 2024, Iran was ranked 14th in the Global Firepower annual military strength review.
Soldiers
– approximately 610,000 active military personnel and 350,000 reserves
– 230,000-strong Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that includes its own paramilitaries, navy and air force
Missiles
Iran has a sizeable arsenal of long-range weaponry that could be fired upon the country’s enemies.
In 2022, then-US Central Command head Gen. Kenneth McKenzie estimated the Iranian ballistic missile stockpile had “over 3,000” units. This includes:
– Shahab-1 and Shahab-2
– Ghadr
– Emad
– cruise missiles such as Paveh
Drones
– loitering munitions such as Shahed-136
– strike drones like Shahed-149, and other
Aircraft
The Iranian Air Force is comprised of 551 aircraft in total, including:
– 186 fighter aircraft
– 129 helicopters
– 32 military aircraft owned by the IRGC
– 5 helicopters owned by the IRGC
Armor
Iranian ground forces, among other things, include:
– nearly 2,000 tanks
– over 65,000 armored vehicles
Artillery
Iranian artillery forces include:
– 580 self-propelled guns
– 2,050 towed artillery pieces
– 775 multiple launch rocket artillery systems
Navy
Relatively modest in terms of size when compared to other branches of the Iranian military, Iran’s navy is comprised of:
– 21 patrol vessels
– 19 submarines
– 7 frigates
– 3 corvettes