Abdolrasoul Zarrin was a sniper in the 14th Imam Hussain (as) Division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He had recorded 3,000 successful shots before being martyred on March 1, 1984.

Abdolrasoul Zarrin was born on July 27, 1936, in Doshman-Ziari village, near Behbahan. His father, Shokrollah, was a farmer, and his mother was named Nazi.⁠[1] Both his father and grandfather were among the leading figures of the Bakhtiari Lor tribe, and as the local khans had deep enmity against their family, his father was killed when Abdolrasoul was still a child. He lost his father at age four and his mother at age six. The family’ s property was seized by the khans, and he came under the guardianship of his maternal uncle.⁠[2] It was from his uncle that he learned how to shoot.⁠[3]

At the age of thirteen, Abdolrasoul confronted the khans who had forcibly taken his family’ s property. Some time later, to save his life, he fled to Shahreza in Isfahan Province, where his paternal relatives lived.⁠[4] After two years, he moved to Isfahan, where he began living independently. He first opened a clothing shop and, after marrying in 1963,⁠[5] also purchased a porcelain store. Abdolrasoul Zarrin had four sons and three daughters.⁠[6]

In Isfahan, Abdolrasoul was introduced to religious circles and to individuals known for their piety. As the Islamic Revolution began to take shape, he joined the revolutionaries and distributed leaflets containing Imam Khomeini’ s statements in the neighborhoods of Isfahan, facing several threats from the regime as a result. He was the first person in the Sheikh Sadouq neighborhood to climb onto a rooftop and chant “ Allah Akbar”. Together with a group of Isfahan residents, he helped pull down the Shah’ s statue in Mojassameh Square right in front of SAVAK agents. Consequently, he was pursued and fled to Shiraz, where he stayed for a while before returning to Isfahan amid the height of the revolutionary developments.⁠[7]

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Abdolrasoul joined the Islamic Revolution Committees and later the newly established Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).⁠[8] In 1979, when separatist anti-revolutionary movements began in Kurdistan, he traveled to Sanandaj as part of a 60-man group alongside Hussain Kharrazi (later martyred). He joined the strike group led by Kharrazi and took part in clearing the region of anti-revolutionary forces.

With the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War, Abdolrasoul went to the southern fronts along with Hussain Kharrazi and became the sniper for the forces under Kharrazi and Rahim Safavi.⁠[9] In one operation, he disabled 18 enemy tanks by targeting either the machine gunner on top or the driver.⁠[10]

During Operation Ramazan (1982), he was wounded in the belly and leg by tank shell fragments. Until his martyrdom in 1984, he continuously participated in most operations carried out in the south and west, while also training other snipers.⁠[11] Hussain Kharrazi (martyred) nicknamed him the “ Zarrin One-Man Battalion”.⁠[12] It is said that he single-handedly liberated several hills from enemy occupation by eliminating their forces; those hills later became known as the Zarrin Hills. He specifically targeted enemy commanders and key personnel.⁠[13] Before taking a shot, he would perform wudu (minor ablution) and recite the verse “ And you did not throw when you threw, rather, it was Allah who threw” as he aimed at the enemy.⁠[14]

A significant contribution of Abdolrasoul Zarrin during the war took place in the third phase of Operation Valfajr 4 (October– November 1983) on the western front. In that phase, when advancing forces faced difficulties, and Saddam’ s Republican Guard put up fierce resistance, Zarrin killed forty of those guardsmen, thereby enabling the Iranian fighters to push forward. Hussain Kharrazi (martyred) later said the operation succeeded thanks to Zarrin’ s efforts.⁠[15] Because of his capabilities, the enemy knew him well; he had taken out several Baathist generals and skilled enemy snipers and was reportedly called “ Khomeini-loyal Hunter”.⁠[16]

Zarrin was known for his good sense of humor and constant state of ritual purity (wudu). Even during leave in Isfahan, he never neglected teaching others about the Quran and daily prayers.⁠[17]

Finally, on March 1, 1984, during the third phase of Operation Kheibar, Abdolrasoul Zarrin was martyred on Iraq’ s Majnoon Island after a shrapnel strike to the head. He was buried in Isfahan’ s Golestan-e Shuhada (Cemetery of Martyrs).⁠[18] It is said that after his martyrdom, the enemy joyfully announced over the radio and walkie-talkie: “ We have killed the Khomeini-loyal Hunter”.⁠[19]

In his will, we read: “ Maintain unity so that neither internal nor external enemies can overpower us. Officials and those entrusted with executive responsibilities should understand that these duties are a sacred trust. If, relying on God, they perform all their actions sincerely for His sake, they will be honored both in this world and in the Hereafter”.⁠[20]

The book Gordan-e Tak-Nafareh (One-Man Battalion), written by Elahe Haji-Hussaini and published by Moqim and Kanoon-e Parvaresh, is about Abdolrasoul Zarrin. In 2018, an animated film of the same name was produced by the Center for Digital Production and Publication of the Islamic Revolution. In 2020, a documentary also called Gordan-e Tak-Nafareh (One-Man Battalion), directed by Dariush Yari, was broadcast on IRIB Channel One. That same year, the feature film Tak-Tirandaz (Sniper), directed by Ali Ghaffari, was screened at the 39th Fajr Film Festival and won the Crystal Simorgh for Best National Perspective Film and Best Visual Effects.

In October 2019, a memorial ceremony was held for Martyr Abdolrasoul Zarrin and 1,200 athlete martyrs from Isfahan Province. Also, a dedicated shooting range hall in Isfahan was named in his honor.⁠[21]