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Unit 18000
Unit 18000 is a division of the Quds Force, the elite extraterritorial arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Led by IRGC commander Ali Hassan Mahdavi, the unit coordinates military activities and logistical support to bolster Iranian influence in the region Operating primarily within Syria, the unit plays a critical role in the transportation and coordination of illicit goods, including weapons and military equipment, to bolster Iran’s regional proxies and strategic interests. Key activities Coordination of Shipments Unit 18000 oversees the organization and logistics of smuggling operations, ensuring the delivery of weapons and other contraband to Iranian-backed groups, such as Hezbollah and other militias operating in Syria and neighboring regions. These activities are a key component of Iran’s broader efforts to expand its influence in the Middle East. Collaboration with other Quds Force units The unit works closely with other divisions within the Qud ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quds Force
The Quds Force () is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It specializes in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. U.S. Army's Iraq War General Stanley McChrystal describes the Quds Force as an organization analogous to a combination of the CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the United States. Responsible for extraterritorial operations, the Quds Force supports non-state actors in many countries, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthi movement, and Shia militias in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. According to Michael Wigginton et al., the Quds Force is "a classic example of state-sponsored terrorism." The Quds Force reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei. After Qasem Soleimani was assassinated in a U.S. drone strike, his deputy, Esmail Qaani, replaced him. The U.S. Secretary of State designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western European nations in the early 20th century as a replacement of the term Near East (both were in contrast to the Far East). The term "Middle East" has led to some confusion over its changing definitions. Since the late 20th century, it has been criticized as being too Eurocentrism, Eurocentric. The region includes the vast majority of the territories included in the closely associated definition of West Asia, but without the South Caucasus. It also includes all of Egypt (not just the Sinai Peninsula, Sinai) and all of Turkey (including East Thrace). Most Middle Eastern countries (13 out of 18) are part of the Arab world. The list of Middle Eastern countries by population, most populous countries in the region are Egypt, Turkey, and Iran, whil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Axis Of Resistance
The Axis of Resistance is an informal coalition of Iranian-supported militant and political organizations across the Middle East. Formed by Iran, it unites actors committed to countering the influence of the United States and Israel in the region. It most notably includes the Lebanese Hezbollah, Islamic Resistance in Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and the Yemeni Houthi movement. It sometimes includes Hamas, and a variety of Palestinian political violence, other Palestinian militant groups. The various actions of members of this axis reflect their domestic interests while serving the broader goal of complicating Israel's attacks and imposing a cost on the United States to support Israel. The United States designates most of these groups as List of designated terrorist groups, terrorist organizations. Despite this, between 2014 and 2017, militant groups within the axis under the command of Qasem Soleimani co-ordinated with U.S. military forces against the Islamic State (IS ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Military Of Iran
The Iranian Armed Forces, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, are the combined military forces of Iran, comprising the Islamic Republic of Iran Army (''Artesh''), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (''Sepah'') and the Police Command (''Faraja''). Iranian Armed Forces are the largest in the Middle East in terms of active troops. Iran's military forces are made up of approximately 610,000 active-duty personnel plus 350,000 reserve and trained personnel that can be mobilized when needed, bringing the country's military manpower to about 960,000 total personnel. These numbers do not include Law Enforcement Command or Basij. Most of Iran's imported weapons consist of American systems purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with limited purchases from Russia in the 1990s following the Iran–Iraq War. However, the country has since then launched a robust domestic rearmament program, and its inventory has become increasingly indigenous. According to Ir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Officers
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world's Major religious groups, second-largest religious population after Christians. Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a Fitra, primordial faith that was revealed many times through earlier Prophets and messengers in Islam, prophets and messengers, including Adam in Islam, Adam, Noah in Islam, Noah, Abraham in Islam, Abraham, Moses in Islam, Moses, and Jesus in Islam, Jesus. Muslims consider the Quran to be the verbatim word of God in Islam, God and the unaltered, final revelation. Alongside the Quran, Muslims also believe in previous Islamic holy books, revelations, such as the Torah in Islam, Tawrat (the Torah), the Zabur (Psalms), and the Gospel in Islam, Injil (Gospel). They believe that Muhammad in Islam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unit 840
Unit 840 is a covert operational unit within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, responsible for conducting clandestine operations outside of Iran. The unit has been linked to assassination plots, terrorist activities, and destabilization efforts targeting Iranian dissidents, Israeli interests, and Western allies across the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. Overview Unit 840 operates under the Quds Force, the external operations wing of the IRGC, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and several other countries. The unit is believed to focus on intelligence gathering, recruitment, and execution of covert missions, including targeted assassinations and kidnappings. Leadership and key figures As of 2025, Unit 840 is led by Yazdan Mir (alias Sardar Bagheri), who oversees the unit's clandestine operations globally. One of its top Commanders is Mohammad Reza Ansari (aliases: Barkirsaghi, Mostafa Naser ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unit 400
Unit 400 is a covert special operations unit within Iran’s Quds Force (a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC), specializing in terrorist attacks, assassinations, kidnappings, and sabotage. Established around 2012, it operates under the direct oversight of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and has been designated by the U.S. as a terrorist entity due to its global activities. Leadership and structure Key figures Hamid Abdullahi Hamid Abdullahi is a senior commander in Iran’s Quds Force, leading Unit 400, a covert special operations unit responsible for global terrorist activities. Designated by the U.S. in 2012 for supporting terrorism, he has overseen high-profile plots and asymmetric warfare operations. Majid Alavi Majid Alavi is a senior Iranian military-intelligence figure with a history of leadership roles in the Quds Force and involvement in covert operations. He is a former deputy Iranian intelligence minister, that commanded th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unit 340
Unit 340 is a specialized division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF) responsible for developing and enhancing rocket and missile capabilities for Iran's allies, primarily Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hezbollah. The unit, headed by Hamid Fazeli, focuses on improving the accuracy, range, and destructive power of these weapons. Hamid Faziel also heads Harakat al-Nujaba, a Shiite militia that operates under the direction of the IRGC in Iraq and is responsible for rocket launch against American forces. Key activities Unit 340 operates in several countries, including Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. The Unit tests missiles at the Shahid Shabani camp and at the Semnan ballistic complex following an accord between the IRGC and the Semnan Space Center. Its main objectives are: Developing technological weapons projects, especially rockets and missiles The unit plays a crucial role in researching and developing advanced military technology, with a spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unit 190
Unit 190 is a specialized division within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, primarily responsible for the clandestine transfer and smuggling of weapons to organizations, groups, and states allied with Iran. The unit operated under the leadership of Behnam Shahriyari, also known by the aliases Hamid Reza and Seyed Ali Akbar Mir Vakili. It is estimated to have approximately 20 members, who engage in sophisticated covert operations to ensure the uninterrupted flow of arms to Iran’s regional proxies and allies. Key activities and methods Weapons smuggling Unit 190 has been instrumental in transferring tens of thousands of tons of weapons to various groups, including: * Hezbollah in Lebanon. * The Ba'athist Syria, Assad regime in Syria * Palestinian militant group, Palestinian militant organizations in Gaza City, Gaza. * Houthis, Houthi rebels in Yemen Covert operations The unit employs multiple methods to disguise weapons shipments, including: * Conc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2024 Iranian Consulate Airstrike In Damascus
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hindu-Arabic digit Brahmic numerals represented 1, 2, and 3 with as many lines. 4 was simplified by joining its four lines into a cross that looks like the modern plus sign. The Shunga would add a horizontal line on top of the digit, and the Kshatrapa and Pallava evolved the digit to a point where the speed of writing was a secondary concern. The Arabs' 4 still had the early concept of the cross, but for the sake of efficiency, was made in one stroke by connecting the "western" end to the "northern" end; the "eastern" end was finished off with a curve. The Europeans dropped the finishing curve and gradually made the digit less cursive, ending up with a digit very close to the original Brahmin cross. While the shape of the character ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mohammad Reza Zahedi
Mohammad Reza Zahedi (; 2 November 1960 – 1 April 2024) was an Iranian military officer. A senior figure within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), he had previously commanded the IRGC Aerospace Force and the IRGC Ground Forces, and was commanding the Quds Force unit 18000 in Lebanon and Syria at the time of his death. In 2024, Zahedi was killed by an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, he was the only Iranian to sit on the ''Shura'', or guiding council, of Hezbollah. According to ''The Guardian'', he was most likely a critical figure in coordinating Iran's relationship with Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Assad government of Syria. Military career Zahedi joined the IRGC at the age of 19 and served as a mid-level officer during the Iran–Iraq War. He led the 44th Qamar Beni Hashem Division from 1983 to 1986 and later headed the 14th ''Imam Hossein'' Division from 1986 to 1991. He was also th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2023 Turkey–Syria Earthquakes
On 6 February 2023, at 04:17 Time in Turkey, TRT (01:17 Coordinated Universal Time, UTC), a 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Ba'athist Syria, Syria. The epicenter was west–northwest of Gaziantep. The earthquake had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of XII (''Extreme'') around the epicenter and in Antakya. It was followed by a 7.7 earthquake at 13:24. This earthquake was centered north-northeast from the first. There was widespread damage and tens of thousands of fatalities. The 7.8 earthquake is the largest in Turkey since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake of the same magnitude, and jointly the second-largest in the country, after larger estimates for the 1668 North Anatolia earthquake. It is also one of the List of earthquakes in the Levant, strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the Levant. It was felt as far as Egypt and the Black Sea coast of Turkey. There were more than List of aftershoc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
