Artesh

Islamic Republic of Iran Army
Seal of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army
Flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army
Motto	Arabic: وَإِنَّ جُنْدنَا لَهُمْ الْغَالِبُونَ‎‎ "And Our Soldiers, They Verily Would Be The Victors." [Quran 37:173] (Heraldry slogan) Persian: ارتش فدای ملت‎, lit. 'Army Sacrificed for the Nation'‎ (Unofficial) Persian: خدا، شاه، ميهن‎, lit. 'God, Shah, Fatherland'‎ (Pre 1979)
Founded	Early 1st millennium BC; c. 3000 years ago (first archeologically documented army) 1921; 96 years ago (1921) (first unified army in modern history)
Current form	1979; 38 years ago (1979) (Islamic Republic)
Service branches	Joint Staff (SEMAJA) Ground Forces (NEZAJA) Air Force (NAHAJA) Navy (NEDAJA) Air Defense Base (PADAJA)
Headquarters	Tehran, Iran
Website	aja.ir
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Amir Sarlashkar A. Mousavi
Branch Commanders	Amir Sartip K. Heydari (Ground Force) Amir Sartip H. Shahsafi (Air Force) Amir Daryadar H. Sayyari (Navy) Amir Sartip F. Esmaili (Air Defense)
Manpower
Military age	18
Conscription	21 months
Active personnel	Classified MEI estimate (2011): 420,000 350,000 (Ground Force) 37,000 (Air Force) 18,000 (Navy) 15,000 (Air Defense)
Expenditures
Budget	$2,036.91 million (1395 SH)
Related articles
History	Military history of Iran History of the Iranian Air Force History of the Iranian Navy
Ranks	Army Air Force Navy Air Defense

Classified

The Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Persian: ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران‎‎) acronymed AJA (Persian: آجا‎‎), simply known as the Iranian Army or Artesh (Persian: ارتش‎, translit. Arteš‎), is the "conventional military of Iran" and part of Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The army is tasked to protect the territorial integrity of the Iranian state from external and internal threats and to project power. Artesh has its own Joint Staff which coordinates its four separate service branches: Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy and the newly established Air Defense Base.

Iranian army has been engaged in two major invasions in modern era. In the first time, 1941 invasion by Soviet and British forces during World War II resulted to decisive enemy victory, deposition of Iran's Shah and five years of occupation. The second time, 1980 Iraqi invasion started a war lasting for almost eight years, which ended to status quo ante bellum. The army has been actively engaged in fighting tribal and separatist rebellions since 1940s and so far has successfully suppressed Azeri sepratism, Kurdish separatism, Arab separatism and Balochistan separatism to protect Iran's territorial integrity.