What to Know About the Artesh, Iran’s Conventional Military

The group is large and scalable but heavily constrained.

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Rather than a single, unified military force, Iran operates a two-headed machine comprising the conventional armed forces, known as the Artesh, and the more ideologically driven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Artesh is responsible for ground warfare and territorial defense, while the IRGC controls strategic strike and escalation. A large paramilitary force known as the […]

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Andrew Davidson
Andrew Davidson is an analyst at Geopolitical Futures. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management and Homeland Security and is completing his master’s degree in International Relations through Liberty University. Prior to working on continuing his education, he served in the U.S. Army for over 11 years with experience as a Platoon Sergeant in the Middle East and South Korea serving with the 10th Mountain Division and the 25th Infantry Division.