Tensions between Iran and Israel have drawn attention to the Iranian military. Both countries are in the midst of a tense conflict.
Tehran – After Israel attacked the Iranian embassy in Damascus in early April and killed seven senior Iranian commanders and military personnel, Iran is threatening retaliation. Israel claims that the attacked site was used by military commanders and was therefore a legitimate target. The threats from Tehran have put the entire region on alert.
Iranian military: Experts analyze strength and threat potential
According to the US newspaper
New York Times,
experts and analysts have taken a closer look at the Iranian military to assess its capabilities and the potential threat it poses. With one of the largest military forces in the Middle East, Iran is armed with at least 580,000 active soldiers and about 200,000 trained reservists.
However, according to observers, there are far more. The Iranian Armed Forces, including the Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have separate and active ground, air and naval forces that are strategically coordinated. So you can basically say that Iran has two parallel military structures.
Iranian Military: Coordination and Elite Forces in the Middle East
The General Staff of the Armed Forces coordinates the branches of the armed forces and determines the overall strategy. The Guard also operates the Quds Force, an elite unit responsible for arming, training and supporting the network of proxy militias known as the Axis of Resistance across the Middle East.
These militias include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, militia groups in Syria and Iraq, and Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.
Precision missiles, drones and naval potential in the Middle East
Iran has focused on developing precision and long-range missiles, drones and air defense systems in recent years. With one of the largest arsenals of ballistic missiles and drones in the Middle East, Iran has the capability to reach targets across the region, including Israel.
According to reports, Iran has built a significant number of speedboats and some small submarines capable of disrupting shipping traffic and global energy supplies through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. In recent years, Iran has repeatedly boarded ships there and stopped them, sometimes even forcing them into their own ports to search and question the crew.
Iranian Defense: Tehran seeks independence through domestic arms industry
Analysts and experts say Iran has stepped up its defense efforts and developed a domestic arms industry despite international sanctions. This allows the country to be largely independent of foreign sources and to continually improve defense capabilities.
Experts warn that further escalation and retaliation from Iran could lead to a larger regional conflict that could also affect the United States, according to the
New York Times
. US President Joe Biden has already pledged firm support to Israel in the event of an Iranian attack. Iran is not only strengthening its own army, but apparently also Palestinians in the West Bank. Tehran is said to have pumped weapons into the Palestinian region.
(jek)