25th Airborne Special Forces Brigade (), or the ''NOHED'' Brigade (), is an airborne,

special forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

unit of the

Iranian Army The Islamic Republic of Iran Army (), acronymed AJA (), commonly simplified as the Iranian Army, is the conventional military of Iran and part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces. It is tasked to protect the territorial integrity of th ...

established in 1959. The unit's first operation was during the Dhofar Rebellion in Oman. After the

1979 Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

in Iran, it was a participant in the post-Revolution clashes. As part of the 21st Commando Division, the unit was extensively used in various operations of the

Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...

of the 1980s. Recently, some members have been active in the Syrian Civil War. The brigade has also been employed for

hostage rescue A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, o ...

and

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...

purposes inside Iran. ''25th Takavar Brigade () is a

Takavar This is a list of special forces units in Iranian Armed Forces and police. The name can refer to members of regular units who have successfully completed Commando or Ranger training courses and marines trained as Frogman, or the hand-selected and ...

separate

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

of the

Ground Forces of Islamic Republic of Iran Army The Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces (, ''Niruye Zaminiye Arteše Jomhuriye Eslâmiye Irân''), acronymed NEZAJA (, NEZAJA) are the ground forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. In Iran, it is also called ''Artesh,'' () which i ...

based in Pasveh,

West Azerbaijan province West Azerbaijan province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, whose capital and largest city is Urmia. It is in the northwest of the country, bordered by Turkey ( Ağrı, Hakkâri, Iğdır and Van Provinces), Iraq ( Erbil and Sula ...

. The unit supplied aid for

2012 East Azerbaijan earthquakes The 2012 East Azerbaijan earthquakes – also known as the Ahar earthquakes – occurred on 11 August 2012, at 16:53 Iran Standard Time, near the cities of Ahar and Varzaqan in Iran's East Azerbaijan province, approximately 60 kilometers (37 mi ...

References

Special forces of Iran Military special forces brigades Military units and formations of Ground Forces of Islamic Republic of Iran Army Piranshahr County {{iran-mil-stub