IRGC Rank Insignia Guide

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 1

Will Fulton, Iran Analyst and IRGC Project Lead, AEI Critical Threats Project

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

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Image from uniforminsignia.org

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

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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 Operations Deputy Mohammad Bagheri IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Suleimani

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IRGC Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari

Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff Gholam Ali Rashid

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IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Suleimani

Major General (Sarlashkar / سرلشکر) Continued

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


IRGC Deputy Commander Hossein Salami IRGC Ground Forces Commander Mohammad Pakpour IRGC Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Unit (Greater Tehran) Commander Mohsen Kazemini

IRGC Operations Deputy Mehdi Rabbani

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Brigadier General First Class (Sartip-e Yekom / سرتيپ يکم) Continued

IRGC Deputy Commander Hossein Salami

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Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi

IRGC Ground Forces Commander

Mohammad Pakpour

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


IRGC Ground Forces Operations Directorate Deputy Morteza Mirian

IRGC Najaf-e Ashraf Operational Base Commander Ali Akbar Nouri

IRGC Imam Hassan Mojtaba Unit (Alborz) Deputy Commander Hamzeh Mir-Taghi

IRGC Shohada Unit (West Azerbaijan) Commander

Mohammad Yousef Shakeri

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Brigadier General Second Class (Sartip-e Dovom / سرتيپ دوم) Continued

IRGC Ground Forces Coordination Deputy

Abdolqassem Foroutan

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Political Advisor to the Supreme Leader’s

Representative to the IRGC Yadollah Javani

IRGC Hamzeh Seyyed al Shohada Base Commander Mohammad Taghi Osanlou

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


IRGC Seyyed al-Shohada Unit (Tehran province) Deputy Commander Gholam Reza Burbur Sani IRGC 12th Ghaem Independent Brigade Commander Esmail Ghasempour IRGC Mohammad Rasoul-Allah Unit (Greater Tehran) Operations Deputy Reza Farzaneh

IRGC 44th Ghamar Bani Hashem Brigade (West Azerbaijan) Commander

Ali Mohammad Akbari

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Lieutenant Colonel (Sarhang-e Dovom / دومسرهنگ )

Sarhang literal translation: “Head of Regiment”

Insignia: Two ten-sided stars set side-by-side

U.S. equivalent: Lieutenant Colonel


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 Bagher Farhang

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IRGC Kish Unit Commander Hedayat Elah Amiri

Major (Sargord / سرگرد)

Insignia: One ten-sided star


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 12

Captain (Sarvan / سروان)

Insignia: Four eight-sided stars arranged in a line


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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First Lieutenant (Sotvan-e Yekom / ستوان يکم)

Insignia: Three eight-sided stars arranged in a line


IRGC Saberin Special Operations Unit Commando Moslem Ahmadi Panah (KIA 3 SEP 2012)

IRGC Abouzar Shabankareh Area Commander Khalil Sabouri

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IRGC Shohada Resistance Zone (Bastak) Commander Mahmoud Sohrabi

Second Lieutenant (Sotvan-e Dovom / ستوان دوم)

Insignia: Two eight-sided stars set side-by-side


IRGC Khash Unit Physical Training Deputy Ahmad Behdari

IRGC Sabzevar Unit Public Relations Deputy Mohammad Ali Yavari

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Dezful Student Basij Commander Ali Reza Khormand

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

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Chief Warrant Officer (Ostovar-e Yekom / استوار يکم)

Insignia: Three arches over two horizontal bars

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Warrant Officer Junior Grade (Ostovar-e Dovom / دوماستوار )

Insignia: Three arches over one horizontal bar

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Sergeant First Class (Gorouhban-e Yekom / گروهبان يکم)

Insignia: Three arches

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Sergeant Second Class (Gorouhban-e Dovom / دومگروهبان )

Insignia: Two arches

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Sergeant Third Class (Gorouhban-e Sevom / گروهبان سوم)

Insignia: One arch

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Corporal (Sarjoukheh / سرجوخه)

Insignia: Three horizontal bars above X over V

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Private First Class (Sarbaz-e Yekom / سرباز يکم)

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Insignia: Two horizontal bars above X over V

Private Second Class (Sarbaz-e Dovom / دومسرباز )

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Insignia: One horizontal bar above X over V

Private (Sarbaz-e Sevom / سرباز سوم)

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Insignia: X over V

IRGC Rank Insignia Guide

Documents

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