How Powerful is Iran’s Military That Soon May Be Unleashed Against Terrorists in Syria?

In 2024, Iran was ranked 14th in the Global Firepower annual military strength review.

– 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

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:

– cruise missiles such as Paveh

– loitering munitions such as Shahed-136

– strike drones like Shahed-149, and others

The Iranian Air Force is comprised of 551 aircraft in total, including:

– 32 military aircraft owned by the IRGC

– 5 helicopters owned by the IRGC

Iranian ground forces, among other things, include:

– over 65,000 armored vehicles

Iranian artillery forces include:

– 580 self-propelled guns

– 2,050 towed artillery pieces

– 775 multiple launch rocket artillery systems

Relatively modest in terms of size when compared to other branches of the Iranian military, Iran’s navy is comprised of:

Sources: Global Firepower, UK-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, media.