Iranian Army

The Islamic Republic of Iran Army, or Artesh, is Iran's conventional military branch, distinct from the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, or Sepah), which reports directly to the Supreme Leader as a parallel structure. The Army comprises Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy and Air Defence Force, with an estimated 350,000 active personnel and a further 350,000 in reserve; the two forces have historically competed for budget and operational authority even as both answer to the Supreme Leader.

On 9 May 2026 the Army, rather than the IRGC Navy that has traditionally handled Hormuz harassment, issued a formal warning that sanctions-compliant states' shipping would receive no special protection during any strait closure, signalling institutional consensus behind the deterrence posture beyond the Guard alone.

The Army now runs its own numbered campaign, Operation Saeqeh, against US basing in third countries, distinct from and running in parallel with the maritime and inland bombing campaign CENTCOM has flown against Iranian territory since the war's early nights. Phase numbers for Saeqeh come from Press TV and Iran's own state broadcasters and are unverified outside Iranian media; treat them as Tehran's count of its own operations, not a confirmed tempo.