Iranian Army Ground Forces
The Iranian Army Ground Forces (NEZAJA) is the largest branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran's regular military (Artesh), responsible for territorial defense and border security. While often overshadowed by the IRGC, the Ground Forces maintain a massive conventional footprint and have recently faced direct kinetic friction with U.S. forces in southeastern Iran.
The Iranian Army Ground Forces, known by the Persian acronym NEZAJA, constitute the primary conventional land power of the Islamic Republic. Unlike the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which focuses on asymmetric warfare, internal security, and regional proxy networks, the Ground Forces are tasked with the traditional defense of Iran's sovereign borders. Historically, the Artesh has been viewed as the more professional, less ideological counterpart to the IRGC, though it remains strictly subordinate to the Supreme Leader and integrated into the regime's broader security architecture.
In recent years, the Ground Forces have undergone a transition toward 'rapid response' and 'offensive' capabilities. This shift was highlighted by the deployment of specialized units to Iran's borders to deter potential ground operations and the movement of unprecedented volumes of heavy equipment to western provinces. Despite this posture, the organization remains vulnerable to high-precision standoff strikes. A significant escalation occurred in July 2026, when the Ground Forces officially acknowledged a U.S. missile strike on a barracks in Iranshahr, southeastern Iran. The attack, which targeted a military camp in Bampur, resulted in the deaths of seven soldiers and marked a rare instance of direct, lethal friction between the regular Iranian army and U.S. military assets.
For Israel and regional observers, the Ground Forces represent the 'mass' of Iranian military power. While the IRGC manages the 'Ring of Fire' around Israel, the regular army provides the logistical and territorial depth necessary for the regime's survival. The recent losses in Sistan and Baluchestan province underscore the increasing volatility on Iran's periphery and the potential for the regular military to be drawn into the broader regional conflict between the 'Axis of Resistance' and Western-aligned powers.