Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has become a dominant force in Iranian military, political, economic and foreign affairs, and its senior commanders often speak publicly on critical policy issues. It is difficult to gauge the significance of a commander's remarks, however, without a firm understanding of that individual's relative power within the Islamic Republic. Although military rank is only one of many determinants of power in Iran, it is nonetheless a reliable indicator of authority for military officials. Understanding the IRGC's formal rank system is, therefore, an important component of understanding the Iranian regime's power structure and its key players. This slide deck explains the rank structure of the IRGC and the relative degree of formal military authority granted to guardsmen at each rank.

1. Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)
Rank Insignia Guide
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses IRGC Commanders July 2010, Tehran
(L to R) Basij Deputy Commander BG Ali Fazli, Seyyed al-Shohada Base Commander BG Javad Estaki, Defense Minister
BG Ahmad Vahidi, IRGC Commander MG Mohammad Ali Jafari, Greater Tehran IRGC Commander BG Mohsen Kazemeini
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Will Fulton, Iran Analyst and IRGC Project Lead, AEI Critical Threats Project

2. General
(Arteshbod / ‫)ﺍﺭﺗﺸﺒﺪ‬
Insignia: Four eight-sided stars below crossed
swords, a wreath, and the word “Allah” written in
the shape of a tulip (“Allah” in this format is the
standard stylization for Iran and appears on its flag)
This rank is currently inactive
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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3. Lieutenant General
(Sepahbod / ‫)ﺳﭙﻬﺒﺪ‬
Insignia: Three eight-sided stars below crossed
swords, a wreath, and the word “Allah” written in
the shape of a tulip
This rank is currently inactive
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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4. Major General
(Sarlashkar / ‫)ﺳﺮﻟﺸﮑﺮ‬
Sarlashkar literal translation: “Head of Division”
U.S. equivalent: Lieutenant General (3-star)
Insignia: Two eight-sided stars below crossed
swords, a wreath, and the word “Allah” written
in the shape of a tulip
Examples of commanders at this rank:
 Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces General
Staff Gholam Ali Rashid
 Armed Forces General Staff Intelligence and
IRGC Commander
Operations Deputy Mohammad Bagheri
Mohammad Ali Jafari
 IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem
Suleimani
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5. Major General
(Sarlashkar / ‫ )ﺳﺮﻟﺸﮑﺮ‬Continued
Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces IRGC Quds Force Commander
General Staff Gholam Ali Rashid Qassem Suleimani
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6. Brigadier General First Class
(Sartip-e Yekom / ‫)ﺳﺮﺗﻴﭗ ﻳﮑﻢ‬
Sartip literal translation: “Head of Brigade”
Often referred to as “Brigadier General”
without class distinction
U.S. equivalent: Major General (2-star)
Insignia: One eight-sided star below crossed
swords, a wreath, and the word “Allah”
written in the shape of a tulip
Examples of commanders at this rank:
IRGC Operations Deputy
 IRGC Deputy Commander Hossein Salami
Mehdi Rabbani
 IRGC Ground Forces Commander Mohammad Pakpour
 IRGC Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Unit
(Greater Tehran) Commander Mohsen Kazemini
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7. Brigadier General First Class
(Sartip-e Yekom / ‫ )ﺳﺮﺗﻴﭗ ﻳﮑﻢ‬Continued
IRGC Deputy Commander IRGC Ground Forces Defense Minister
Hossein Salami Commander Ahmad Vahidi
Mohammad Pakpour
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8. Brigadier General Second Class
(Sartip-e Dovom / ‫)ﺳﺮﺗﻴﭗ ﺩﻭﻡ‬
Sartip literal translation: “Head of Brigade”
Often referred to as “Brigadier General”
without class distinction
U.S. equivalent: Brigadier General (1-star)
Insignia: One eight-sided star below crossed swords,
a wreath, and the word “Allah” written in the shape
of a tulip
Examples of commanders at this rank:
 IRGC Ground Forces Operations
Directorate Deputy Morteza Mirian IRGC Shohada Unit (West Azerbaijan)
Commander
 IRGC Najaf-e Ashraf Operational Base Mohammad Yousef Shakeri
Commander Ali Akbar Nouri
 IRGC Imam Hassan Mojtaba Unit (Alborz) 8
Deputy Commander Hamzeh Mir-Taghi

9. Brigadier General Second Class
(Sartip-e Dovom / ‫ )ﺳﺮﺗﻴﭗ ﺩﻭﻡ‬Continued
Political Advisor to the IRGC Hamzeh Seyyed al IRGC Ground Forces
Supreme Leader’s Shohada Base Commander Coordination Deputy
Representative to the IRGC Mohammad Taghi Osanlou Abdolqassem Foroutan
Yadollah Javani
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10. Colonel
(Sarhang-e Yekom / ‫)ﺳﺮﻫﻨﮓ ﻳﮑﻢ‬
Sarhang literal translation: “Head of Regiment”
Insignia: Three ten-sided stars arranged in a line
U.S. equivalent: Colonel
Examples of commanders at this rank:
 IRGC Seyyed al-Shohada Unit
(Tehran province) Deputy Commander
Gholam Reza Burbur Sani
IRGC 44th Ghamar Bani Hashem
 IRGC 12th Ghaem Independent
Brigade (West Azerbaijan) Commander
Brigade Commander Esmail Ghasempour
Ali Mohammad Akbari
 IRGC Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Unit
(Greater Tehran) Operations Deputy
Reza Farzaneh
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11. Lieutenant Colonel
(Sarhang-e Dovom / ‫)ﺳﺮﻫﻨﮓ ﺩﻭﻡ‬
Sarhang literal translation: “Head of Regiment”
Insignia: Two ten-sided stars set side-by-side
U.S. equivalent: Lieutenant Colonel
Examples of commanders at this rank:
 IRGC Salman Unit (Sistan and Baluchistan)
Coordination Deputy Avaz Ali Fagheri
 IRGC Shirvan District Unit (North Khorasan)
Commander Ali Mohammad Mohammadi
 IRGC Nain District Unit (Esfehan) Commander IRGC Kish Unit Commander
Bagher Farhang Hedayat Elah Amiri
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12. Major
(Sargord / ‫)ﺳﺮﮔﺮﺩ‬
Insignia: One ten-sided star
Examples of commanders at this rank:
 IRGC Malek Ashtar Resistance Zone (Ilam)
Commander Rashid Mamneh
IRGC 110th Salman Farsi Independent
Brigade Public Relations Deputy Qassem
Hassan-Zadah
 IRGC Ghamar Bani-Hashem Unit
Inspection and Intelligence Deputy
Reza Bagheri
IRGC Semirom Unit Imam
Hossein Battalion Commander
Mohammad Hassan Saberi
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13. Captain
(Sarvan / ‫)ﺳﺮﻭﺍﻥ‬
Insignia: Four eight-sided stars arranged in a line
Examples of commanders at this rank:
 IRGC Firouz Kouh Resistance Zone (Tehran
province) Commander Hadi Ilka’
IRGC Jaharom District Unit (Fars)
Socio-Cultural Deputy Mohsen Javangir
 IRGC Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Unit
(Guyam District, Shiraz) Commander
Hossein Zaraei
Fars Province Student Basij
Organization Supervisor
Mohammad Jafar Doustdar
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14. First Lieutenant
(Sotvan-e Yekom / ‫)ﺳﺘﻮﺍﻥ ﻳﮑﻢ‬
Insignia: Three eight-sided stars arranged in a line
Examples of commanders at this rank:
 IRGC Saberin Special Operations Unit
Commando Moslem Ahmadi Panah (KIA 3 SEP 2012)
 IRGC Abouzar Shabankareh Area Commander
Khalil Sabouri
IRGC Shohada Resistance Zone (Bastak)
Commander Mahmoud Sohrabi
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15. Second Lieutenant
(Sotvan-e Dovom / ‫)ﺳﺘﻮﺍﻥ ﺩﻭﻡ‬
Insignia: Two eight-sided stars set side-by-side
Examples of commanders at this rank:
 IRGC Khash Unit Physical Training Deputy
Ahmad Behdari
 IRGC Sabzevar Unit Public Relations Deputy
Mohammad Ali Yavari
Dezful Student Basij Commander
Ali Reza Khormand
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16. Third Lieutenant
(Sotvan-e Sevom / ‫)ﺳﺘﻮﺍﻥ ﺳﻮﻡ‬
Insignia: One eight-sided star
Examples of commanders at this rank:
 IRGC Saberin Special Operations Unit Commando
Mojtaba Babaei Zadeh (KIA 3 SEP 2012)
 IRGC Imam Hossein Resistance Zone (Goharan)
Commander Mojtaba Habashi
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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17. Chief Warrant Officer
(Ostovar-e Yekom / ‫)ﺍﺳﺘﻮﺍﺭ ﻳﮑﻢ‬
Insignia: Three arches over two horizontal bars
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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18. Warrant Officer Junior Grade
(Ostovar-e Dovom / ‫)ﺍﺳﺘﻮﺍﺭ ﺩﻭﻡ‬
Insignia: Three arches over one horizontal bar
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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19. Sergeant First Class
(Gorouhban-e Yekom / ‫)ﮔﺮﻭﻫﺒﺎﻥ ﻳﮑﻢ‬
Insignia: Three arches
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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20. Sergeant Second Class
(Gorouhban-e Dovom / ‫)ﮔﺮﻭﻫﺒﺎﻥ ﺩﻭﻡ‬
Insignia: Two arches
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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21. Sergeant Third Class
(Gorouhban-e Sevom / ‫)ﮔﺮﻭﻫﺒﺎﻥ ﺳﻮﻡ‬
Insignia: One arch
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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22. Corporal
(Sarjoukheh / ‫)ﺳﺮﺟﻮﺧﻪ‬
Insignia: Three horizontal bars above X over V
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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23. Private First Class
(Sarbaz-e Yekom / ‫)ﺳﺮﺑﺎﺯ ﻳﮑﻢ‬
Insignia: Two horizontal bars above X over V
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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24. Private Second Class
(Sarbaz-e Dovom / ‫)ﺳﺮﺑﺎﺯ ﺩﻭﻡ‬
Insignia: One horizontal bar above X over V
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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25. Private
(Sarbaz-e Sevom / ‫)ﺳﺮﺑﺎﺯ ﺳﻮﻡ‬
Insignia: X over V
Image from uniforminsignia.org
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