How Powerful is Iran?

The Iranian Armed Forces has 575,000 active and 350,000 reserve personnel.

The Iranian army is the country with the largest number of active soldiers in the Middle East in terms of the number of active soldiers.

The GFP index denotes Iran as a Top 15 global military power.

For 2024, Iran is ranked 14 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.2269 (a score of 0.0000 is considered ‘perfect’). This entry last reviewed on 01/07/2024. 

Iran also known as Persia and officially as the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country located in West Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north, by Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, and by the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south.

Iran has solidified its plans with Russia for a significant addition to its military aircraft inventory, according to reports from the Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency on November 28, 2023. Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi confirmed that arrangements have been finalized for the acquisition of a range of military aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 jet trainers, all set to bolster the Iranian Armed Forces’ combat capabilities.

The procurement of Su-35 fighter jets as part of this comprehensive military package has been long-anticipated and discussed in previous years. The possibility of such a deal emerged and gained momentum until, in September 2022, Iranian media reported that Air Force Chief Hamid Vahedi stated that the purchase of Sukhoi Su-35s from Russia was under consideration by the Iranian air force.

Earlier this year, Shahriar Heidari, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, revealed Iran’s efforts to acquire various military equipment from Russia, including air defense systems, missile systems, and helicopters. At the time, it was suggested that the delivery of the jets was imminent, possibly as early as March 2023, marking the beginning of the Iranian year.

In September of the same year, images of the first Yak-130 Mitten aircraft delivered to the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) surfaced online. These aircraft were reported to be undergoing testing at Iran’s 8th Tactical Air Force Base near Isfahan. The acquisition of these new trainers paved the way for the modernization of Iran’s Air Force, which had predominantly relied on Soviet/Russian and U.S. aircraft procured before the 1979 revolution.

The Yak-130 trainers were instrumental in preparing Iranian pilots to operate 4th generation fighters like the Su-35S “Flanker E,” a 4++ generation variant of the Su-27 Flanker aircraft.

On February 7, Iran unveiled an underground Air Force base named “Eagle 44” in a propagandistic video. The video featured a poster with fighter jet silhouettes, prominently displaying a state-of-the-art military jet not currently in Iran’s possession but claimed to be in the process of acquisition from Russia.

Satellite imagery analysis also revealed the presence of a scaled model, or mockup, of the same fighter jet type at the base. These details suggest that Iran is not only optimistic about the delivery of these planes but is also preparing facilities at the air base to accommodate them.

Since September 2022, Iranian officials have publicly discussed the purported purchase of 24 Su-35s, one of Russia’s most advanced combat aircraft. While Russia has not officially confirmed the deal, the evidence presented in the video and satellite imagery indicates Iran’s active preparations for the arrival of these aircraft, marking a significant upgrade to its aging fighter jet fleet a development closely watched by experts and analysts.

The propaganda video, evaluated by experts, showcases high-ranking military officials touring the Eagle 44 base and prominently features the silhouette of a fighter aircraft resembling modern Russian Flanker series jets, such as the Su-35. Iran currently lacks aircraft from this series, and the other silhouettes in the video represent existing, older planes in Iran’s inventory.

As of the time of this writing, the Su-35 deal remains unconfirmed by Russian sources, adding to the intrigue surrounding Iran’s military modernization efforts.

It covers an area of 1.64 million square kilometres making it the 17th-largest country. With an estimated population of 86.8 million, Iran is the 17th-most populous country in the world, and the second largest in the Middle East. Its largest city is the capital Tehran, followed by Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj, Shiraz, and Tabriz.

Breaking Down Iran’s Military Power and Simplifying it below.

Iran currently has 610,000 active duty military and nearly 400,000 reservists with another 42 million fit for service.

With a population of nearly 90 million, Iran is a major force to be reckoned with, and has an insane terrain to cover.

Iran has nearly 600 military aircraft, including as you read above new high tech military jets from Russia that no one is sure how many Russian Su-35 fighter jets they may have on hand at secret military bases. Russia has been teaching Iranian pilots to fly them as well.

Iran has nearly 66,000 ground vehicles and over 2,000 tanks. They also have nearly 3,000 artillery self propelled and pulled.

Iran has a over 100 Naval assets. Including 19 submarines.

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Thanks to our friends at Global Fire Power for contributing to this article.