In 2024, Iran was ranked 14th in the Global Firepower annual military strength review.
Soldiers
- 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
Missiles
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:
- Shahab-1 and Shahab-2
- Ghadr
- Emad
- cruise missiles such as Paveh
Drones
- loitering munitions such as Shahed-136
- strike drones like Shahed-149, and others
Aircraft
The Iranian Air Force is comprised of 551 aircraft in total, including:
- 186 fighter aircraft
- 129 helicopters
- 32 military aircraft owned by the IRGC
- 5 helicopters owned by the IRGC
Armor
Iranian ground forces, among other things, include:
- nearly 2,000 tanks
- over 65,000 armored vehicles
Artillery
Iranian artillery forces include:
- 580 self-propelled guns
- 2,050 towed artillery pieces
- 775 multiple launch rocket artillery systems
Navy
Relatively modest in terms of size when compared to other branches of the Iranian military, Iran’s navy is comprised of:
- 21 patrol vessels
- 19 submarines
- 7 frigates
- 3 corvettes
Sources: Global Firepower, UK-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, media.