The Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces was the most important branch of the Iranian Army in the Iran-Iraq War.

The history of this force dates back to the 1920s and the formation of the unified army, which was organized into five divisions.⁠[1] After World War II, in 1944, the structure of the Ground Forces changed again. Ten divisions and two independent brigades were formed, and the country was divided into five military zones to enable unified oversight and coordination of military units. In 1956, the General Staff of the Army was changed into the Supreme Army General Staff, and the Ground Forces gained an independent command. In 1963, three Army Headquarters were established in the Ground Forces structure, under which various units operated as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd armies. In 1971, these Army Headquarters were disbanded and replaced by Army Corps Headquarters, with units formerly under their command reassigned to the three Corps Headquarters. The Corps Headquarters were also dissolved in 1974, and the divisions and independent brigades came directly under the command of the Ground Forces.⁠[2]

Before the Islamic Revolution, the Ground Forces expanded significantly. Its forces were organized into three armored divisions, four infantry divisions, and four independent brigades. In terms of equipment, in 1978, the Ground Forces possessed 1,735 tanks, 1,075 armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles, and about 1000 artillery pieces of various types.⁠[3] That same year, the Army Aviation (Havanirooz) had 207 Cobra helicopters, 50 Bell 205s, 206 Bell 206s, 285 Bell 214s, and 90 Chinooks.⁠[4] For transport, two F-27s, two Falcon 20s, and four Commanders were in service.⁠[5]

With the occurrence of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and as a result of widespread purges, the reduction of mandatory military service, and the new policy allowing personnel to serve in their preferred places, the manpower of the Ground Forces dropped to roughly 150,000. This caused a significant decline in the operational capability of the force.⁠[6]

With the onset of internal crises in various parts of the country, Ground Forces units became involved in confronting anti-revolutionary groups. From late March 1979, they defended their garrisons against separatist groups in Kurdistan.⁠[7] Until September 1981, the Ground Forces also took part in liberating occupied areas in West Azerbaijan, including Oshnavieh, from anti‑revolutionary elements.⁠[8]

With the start of the all-out invasion by the Iraqi army in September 1980, Ground Forces units formed the main part of Iran’ s armed forces. Despite their reduced capabilities, they engaged the enemy and, alongside other Army and armed forces units, managed to halt the enemy’ s advance.⁠[9]

From the second year of the war, the Army Ground Forces, together with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), played a major role in liberating occupied territories. The 77th Division took part in Operation Thamen al-Aemmah (as) (Breaking the Siege of Abadan).⁠[10]

Also, the Ground Forces participated in Operation Tariq al-Quds with eight tank battalions, seven mechanized battalions, and four infantry battalions organized into two divisions.⁠[11] The operation, which began on November 30, 1981, resulted in the liberation of the city of Bostan and approximately 600 square kilometers of occupied land in Khuzestan.⁠[12]

In March 1982, the Ground Forces participated in Operation Fath al‑Mubin with three divisions and four independent brigades.⁠[13] This operation liberated about 2,200 square kilometers of occupied territory in western Khuzestan, from Ein-Khosh to Fakkeh.⁠[14]

The major operation named Beit al-Muqaddas began on April 30, 1982. Once again, the Ground Forces participated with three divisions and four independent brigades.⁠[15] The operation ultimately led to the liberation of southwestern Khuzestan and the city of Khorramshahr.

In Operation Ramazan in July 1982, four divisions and two independent brigades of the Ground Forces took part.⁠[16] Operation Moslem ibn Aqil on the western front in October 1982, and Operation Moharram in the Moosian area on the southern front in November 1982, also saw the participation of Ground Forces units.⁠[17]

In February 1983, Operation Valfajr‑e Muqaddamati was carried out, followed in April 1983 by Operation Valfajr 1 in the northwestern Khuzestan region, with Ground Forces units participating in both operations.⁠[18]

Ground Forces units took part in both Operation Kheiber in February 1984, resulting in the capture of the Majnoon Islands in the Hawizeh Marshes, and Operation Badr the following year in the same area.⁠[19]

In 1985, two operations named Qader 1 and 2 were conducted in the Piranshahr border region and the northwestern front. The 23rd Division of the Ground Forces played a central role in these operations, during which Iranian forces captured several border heights.⁠[20]

Until 1984, all operations were carried out jointly between the Army Ground Forces and the IRGC, but from that year onward, they began operating independently.⁠[21] Nevertheless, in Operation Valfajr 8, which was led by the IRGC and resulted in the capture of Al-Faw, the Army Ground Forces provided support with 18 artillery battalions.⁠[22]

Throughout the Iran-Iraq War, 41,370 personnel from the Ground Forces were martyred, of whom 35,749 were conscript soldiers.⁠[23] In addition, 90,000 were wounded,⁠[24] and 23,000 were taken as prisoners of war.⁠[25]

In the years after the war, the Army Ground Forces units have maintained their readiness by engaging in various military exercises. The largest of them was the Velayat Exercise in May 1996, which involved 200,000 personnel.⁠[26]

Programs for the reconstruction and manufacturing of military equipment were also implemented after the Iran-Iraq War. One notable example is the production of the Zulfaqar tank by specialists from the Ground Forces.⁠[27]

Beginning in 2011, the Ground Forces implemented a new structural reform known as the Thamen Plan. Accordingly, divisions were reorganized into independent brigades operating in different regions.⁠[28]

Between 1978 and the end of the war in 1988, the Army Ground Forces was commanded successively by Brigadier General Valiollah Fallahi, Brigadier General Qasem-Ali Zahirnejad, Colonel Ali Sayyad Shirazi, and Brigadier General Hussain Hassani Saadi.⁠[29] The current commander is Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari.⁠[30]