Western Regional Operations Headquarters

The second part in this series covers the Army's Western Operations Headquarters, which is based in Kermanshah, and borders Iraq. The first part in this series covers the Northwest Headquarters, while the third covers the Northeast Headquarters.

The Western HQ is one of five other regional HQs created under the Army Ground Forces' (IRIA) 'Samen restructuring plan'. Operating on the assumption that they would face a simultaneous, multi-front attack that would preclude centralized strategic control of battles, the IRIA created these HQs to control operations and coordinate tactical actions within their respective theaters. By coordinating tactical actions at this level, the IRIA hopes to achieve their operational objective of regional integrity, which when taken as a whole comprises the national-level defense-in-depth strategy.

Their role is further described by the commander of the IRIA – BG Ahmed Reza Pourdastan – in a 2013 interview: 

“With the objective that units be completely self-sufficient and be able to confront threats independently, we created five regional headquarters in the northeast, southeast, southwest, west, and northwest, and we designed the structure and organization of these headquarters to be self-sufficient and not need outside equipment when confronting threats. These HQs have all of the structure and organization required for an independent and self-sufficient unit, [including] support, and transport units, as well as hospitals.”[1/2]

HQ Staff:
As of April 2014, the HQ's commander is Brig. Gen. 2nd-Class (BG2) Manoucher Kazemi. [1] It's deputy commander is BG2 Saeed Arablu.[2]

Components:
Prior to the Samen Alaeme plan, the NEZAJA's western region was reported to include the Kermanshah and Ilam provinces, but has since been expanded to cover Kurdistan and part of the Hamedan province, and is primarily composed of the remnants of the 81st Armored Division, and a handful of other brigades. [3]

Dashed red lines indicate uncertainty regarding chain of command and/or current-status.

Although the HQ is reported to cover Kurdistan, the primary NEZAJA units based in Kurdistan - the remnants of the 28th Infantry Division - are described by other sources as subordinate to the NW HQ. [4] This is far from the only inconsistency in reporting on this region. In 09/2010, ISNA reported that the HQ would include the 81st Armored Division, 35th Commando Brigade, 71st Mechanized Infantry Brigade, 1st Army Aviation Combat Base, 404th Communications Group, 1st Region Support[& Logistics], and the Khatam ol-Anbiya Air Defense HQ. [5]

Then, in 03/2013, Mehr News reported a slightly modified order of battle that included the 81st Armored Division, 71st Air Defense Brigade, Army Aviation, 316th Brigade, 281st Brigade, 35th Commando Brigade, and 404th Communication Group.[7]

Some of these inconsistencies can be easily explained - the addition of the 281st Brigade is due to the ongoing process of making divisional brigades independent, a process which had yet to affect the 81st Division in 2010. Presumably this process is still underway, explaining the lack of references to a hypothetical tactical/operational coordinating division HQ, or a 381st Brigade.

No 71st Air Defense Brigade (as per the 2013 ORBAT) has been previously identified, and may have been confused with the 71st Mechanized Brigade (as per the 2010 ORBAT). Even if this is the case, it has also been reported that this brigade is affiliated with 28th Division HQ and the NW HQ.

The suggestion that the locally-based contingent of the Khatam-ol Anbiya Air Defense Force would be subordinate to a NEZAJA command is notable since this force constitutes a separate branch of the Armed Forces, and would be akin to subordinating Navy or Air Force personnel to the Army Ground Forces.


Appendix - Staff IMINT:

Works Cited:
 [1/2] Rapid Reaction, the Focus of Future Wars: Evaluation of NEZAJA rapid reaction Forces from the Sacred Defense to the Samen Plan. AJA. 02/25/2013
[1] Commander of the Army's Western Region Headquarters: We are Ready to Defend the Revolution and the System. 04/17/14. IRNA.
[2] The Iranian Army is a Symbol of the Country's Power. 04/12/14. Fars News.
[3] Addition of Kurdistan and Parts of Hamedan to the Western Region HQ. 04/11/13. Fars News.
[4] North West Regional Operations HQ. 04/11/14. The Arkenstone.
[5] Commander of the Army's Western Operations Region HQ:
[6] [title] 09/13/2010. ISNA.
[7] The Country's Skies are Watched by Army Air-Defense Units / Army Lodging Ready. 04/11/13. Mehr News.

North West Regional Operations Headquarters

The first part in this series covers the Army's Northwest Operations Headquarters, which is based in Tabriz, and borders Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey and northern Iraq.[1] [2] The second part in this series covers the Western Headquarters, while the third covers the Northeast Headquarters.

The Northwest HQ is one of five other regional HQs created under the Army Ground Forces' (IRIA) 'Samen restructuring plan'. Operating on the assumption that they would face a simultaneous, multi-front attack that would preclude centralized strategic control of battles, the IRIA created these HQs to control operations and coordinate tactical actions within their respective theaters. By coordinating tactical actions at this level, the IRIA hopes to achieve their operational objective of regional integrity, which when taken as a whole comprises the national-level defense-in-depth strategy.

Their role is further described by the commander of the IRIA – BG Ahmed Reza Pourdastan – in a 2013 interview: 

“With the objective that units be completely self-sufficient and be able to confront threats independently, we created five regional headquarters in the northeast, southeast, southwest, west, and northwest, and we designed the structure and organization of these headquarters to be self-sufficient and not need outside equipment when confronting threats. These HQs have all of the structure and organization required for an independent and self-sufficient unit, [including] support, and transport units, as well as hospitals.”[2 1/2]

HQ Staff: 

As of 10/2013, the HQ's commander is Brig. Gen. 2nd-class (BG2) Heshmatollah Malekian. [3] As of 02/2013, it's deputy commander is Brig. Gen (BG) Lotfi. [4] That the deputy commander would outrank the commander is unusual. The coordination deputy (equivalent to a chief-of-staff) is Col. Hamed Mousa Babaei.[5] The intelligence deputy is Col. Asadi

Components: 

Units subordinate to the HQ include the remnants of the 16th, 21st, 28th, and 64th Divisions, and other pre-existing local units. Although divisional support and combat assets are now being pushed downwards to their formerly-subordinate brigades, their staff remains in the form of a divisional operations (or tactical) HQ.

These include the:

- 16th Armored Division Operations HQ, Qazvin [6] [7] [8]
Commander: BG2 Abdulreza Shahri
Deputy Commander: BG2 Mohammed Rezaei
Associated Units:
116th Armored Brigade, Qazvin
216th Armored Brigade, Zanjan
[the 316th AB, Hamedan, is associated with the Western Regional Ops HQ]

-  21st 'Hamza' Division Operations HQ, Azerbaijan [Tabriz] [9]

Commander: BG/BG2 Nader Najafi [10]

Associated Units: [11]

121st 'Shahid Faroozandeh' Commando Brigade, Tabriz [12]

221st 'Shahid Khosrow Tash' Infantry Brigade, Maragheh [13]

321st Infantry Brigade, Marand

40th Infantry Brigade, Sarab [suspected association]

 

- 28th Infantry Division Operations HQ, Kurdistan [15] [16] [17] [18]

Commander: BG2 Kiomars Sharafi [20]

Associated Units: [21] [22]

128th 'Shahid Nosratzad' Infantry Brigade, Sandandaj

228th 'Shahid Ibrahim Sabr' Infantry Brigade, Saqqez [23]

328th Infantry Brigade, Marivan 

71st Mechanized Infantry Brigade, near Sarpol-e Zahab [suspected association, alternately affiliated with Western Regional Ops HQ]

- 64th Infantry Division Operations HQ, Orumiyeh [24]

Commander: BG/BG2 Mehbub Sarbush

Associated Units:

164th 'Shahid Hashemi' Infantry Brigade, Orumiyeh [25]

264th Infantry Brigade, Salmas 

364th 'Shahid Ali Nasirzadeh' Infantry Brigade, Mahabad 

- 36th Armored Brigade, Miyaneh

- 25th Commando Brigade, Pasveh

- 11th Artillery Group, Maragheh

- 4th Region Support [Logistics], Maragheh [26]

- Army Aviation Base [unconfirmed] [27]
Associated units include rotary wing aviation (assault and attack squadrons), and (a) UAV Group 

- Hospital 522, Tabriz [28]

Appendix - Staff IMINT:

Works Cited:

[1] Iran's Disappearing Divisions - The 21st Infantry Division. 06/08/13. The Arkenstone
[2] New Commander of the 21st Division Announced. 12/22/13. Defa Press.
[2 1/2]Rapid Reaction, the Focus of Future Wars: Evaluation of NEZAJA rapid reaction Forces from the Sacred Defense to the Samen Plan. AJA. 02/25/2013
[3] Ideology and Belief of Iran's Army is the Base of Velayat-e Faqih.10/28/13. Tasnim News.

[4] One Brigade from the 21st ID Became Independent. 02/20/13. Tabriz IRIB.
[5] Independence Ceremony for the 3rd Brigade, 64th Division, Held in Mahabad. 02/20/13 Rasht IRNA.
[6] 200 'Dehiyeh Fajr' Programs Held in Qazvin. 01/29/14. Fars News.
[7] Martyrs Are Not of This Earth. 05/21/13. Qazvin IRNA.
[8] Army Headquarters Shooting Championship. 10/23/13. Orumiyeh IRIB.

[9] ibid Tabriz IRIB, 02/20/13
[10] Amir Birang Retires / BG Najafi the New Commander of the 21st Division. 12/21/13. Tabriz Bidar.
[11] ibid The Arkenstone, 06/08/13
[12] ibid Tabriz IRIB, 02/20/13

[13] 2nd Brigade of the 21st Division Become Independent. 11/08/11. Fars News.
[14] Original source now defunct. Marand Daily.
[15] Ceremony for the Commander of the Army's Northwest Tactical HQ Division Held. 05/29/11. Reselat News.
[16] 28th Division Converted to Operations HQ. 02/19/13. Fars News.
[17] Army Day Celebration Held in Sanandaj. 04/18/13. Kurd Press.
[18] ibid Fars News, 02/19/13
[19] 28th Division at the Height of Readiness / Respond to All Threats. 04/11/12. Fars News.
[20] 28th Division Commander Introduced. 11/19/13. Tasnim News.
[21] ibid Fars News, 02/19/13
[22] Iran's Disappearing Divisions continued - the 28th Infantry Division. 04/12/13. The Arkenstone.
[23] 128th Brigade Deployed. Sanandaj IRNA. [defunct]
[24] The Heroism of Soldiers from the Iran-Iraq War is the most Precious Part of our Military History. 01/09/14. IRNA.
[25] [NA] 05/25/13. Emdad.
[26], [27] and [28] No specific references exist linking any of the mentioned elements (army aviation, logistics, medical) to this new headquarters. Their presence is indicated by context. References, in the context of other regional HQs, indicate IRIAA squadrons and groups are subordinated to these HQs. Also, the description of these new HQs (link, P2) notes that each HQ has its own medical and support facilities, suggesting the pre-existing units (ex: hospital 422 and region 4 support base) are similarly subordinate.