Unit 340 is a specialized division of the

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khom ...

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 Fo ...

(IRGC-QF) responsible for developing and enhancing rocket and missile capabilities for Iran's allies, primarily

Palestinian Islamic Jihad The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (, ''Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn''), commonly known simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist paramilitary organization formed in 1981. PIJ formed as an offsh ...

(PIJ) and

Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...

. 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 Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

militia that operates under the direction of the IRGC in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

and is responsible for rocket launch against American forces.

Key activities

Unit 340 operates in several countries, including

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, and

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

. 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 Semnan Space Center (Persian:) is the primary Iranian spaceport A spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching or receiving spacecraft, by analogy to a seaport for ships or an airport for aircraft. The word ''spaceport''—and even ...

. 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 specific focus on rockets and missiles. This includes enhancing the precision, range, and destructive capacity of Hezbollah's missile arsenal, which is a key component of the group's deterrence strategy against Israel.

Empowering proxy forces to manufacture weapons independently

Unit 340 is actively engaged in transferring technical expertise and resources to allied militias and proxy forces, enabling them to manufacture weapons domestically. By localizing production, Hezbollah and its allies reduce their reliance on external arms supplies, thereby increasing their resilience against international sanctions and supply chain disruptions.

Conducting training for Quds Force proxies in Iran

The unit collaborates closely with Iran's Quds Force, the overseas operations branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It provides specialized training programs for allied fighters, focusing on weapons assembly, drone operations, electronic warfare, and asymmetric combat tactics. These training sessions are conducted in Iran, where operatives gain hands-on experience in advanced warfare techniques.

Specific projects

The unit is involved in various rocket development projects:

Improved precision rockets

These have a range of about 85 km, a 50 kg warhead, and a diameter of 225 mm. Their accuracy has been significantly enhanced, with a probable circular error of only a few meters.

Ashtar rockets

Also known as Burkan, these short-range rockets have a range of over 10 km and carry a 500 kg warhead. They are deployed in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...

Jihad rockets

These have a 17-inch diameter, a maximum range of less than 20 km, and a 400 kg warhead.

Imad rockets

A series of rockets with ranges of 45–100 km and warheads weighing tens of kilograms.

Sanctions and international attention

Unit 340's activities have drawn international attention, resulting in sanctions and military actions against its operations. The unit's presence in Syria, particularly in areas like Sayyeda Zeinab near

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes. In June 2024, the EU adopted a series of sanctions against supporters and facilitators of

Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...

and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) activities, including Ali Morshed Shirazi (born in 1969), a Quds Force official who oversees military operations, who has facilitates the Unit 340 assistance to support PIJ.

References

{{Reflist Quds Force Quds Force personnel Anti-Israeli sentiment in Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military branches Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers