Iranian Army
The Iranian Army, or Artesh, is the conventional military force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, distinct from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In 2026, it has transitioned from a secondary role to direct kinetic engagement against U.S. and regional assets.
The Iranian Army (Artesh) serves as the traditional sovereign defender of Iran's borders, historically overshadowed by the ideologically driven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). However, during the regional escalation of mid-2026, the Artesh has assumed a more prominent and aggressive operational profile. Under the command of figures such as Ghanem Ibrahim, the army has increasingly claimed responsibility for direct strikes against U.S. military infrastructure in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
Following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in June 2026, the Iranian Army leadership signaled its institutional stability by formally pledging allegiance to his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei. This move was accompanied by a sharp increase in retaliatory rhetoric, with army officials threatening revenge against Israeli and American leadership. The army's naval and drone units have been particularly active, claiming strikes on U.S. Fifth Fleet assets in Bahrain and military installations in Kuwait, Jordan, and Qatar. While many of these claims remain unverified or contested by regional reports, they reflect a strategic shift where the conventional army now operates in tandem with IRGC objectives to project Iranian power directly rather than solely through proxies. The Artesh maintains a vast arsenal of cruise missiles and suicide drones, which it utilizes to challenge maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and the northern Indian Ocean. This heightened posture places the Iranian Army at the forefront of the 2026 kinetic conflict, serving as a primary instrument of the regime's 'confrontation to the death' doctrine against Western and Israeli interests.