Indicator	Value
Military expenditure (% GDP)	2.01 %SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Military expenditure	7,890,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Armed forces personnel	650,000 peopleWorld Bank WDI [2020]
Arms imports	42,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Arms exports	226,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Military & security forces	the military forces of Iran are divided between the Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Sepah):Artesh: Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Air Force, Air Defense ForcesIRGC: Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines), Aerospace Force (controls strategic missile force), Qods Force (aka Quds Force; special operations), Cyber Electronic Command, Basij Paramilitary ForcesMinistry of Interior: Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA)Ministry of Intelligence and Security (2025); note: note 1: the Artesh primarily focuses on defending Iran’s borders and territorial waters from external threats, while the IRGC has a broader mission to defend the Iranian revolution from any foreign or domestic threatnote 2: the Artesh Navy operates Iran’s larger warships and operates in the Gulf of Oman, the Caspian Sea, and deep waters in the region and beyond; the IRGC Navy has responsibility for the closer-in waters of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuznote 3: the Basij is a volunteer paramilitary group, which sometimes acts as an auxiliary law enforcement unit for the IRGC; it is formally known as the Organization for the Mobilization of the Oppressed and also known as the Popular Mobilization Armynote 4: the Ministry of Intelligence and Security and law enforcement forces under the Interior Ministry, which report to the president, and the IRGC, which reports to the supreme leader, share responsibility for law enforcement and maintaining ordernote 5: the FARAJA is the uniformed police of Iran; it includes branches for public security, traffic control, anti-narcotics, special forces (riot control, counterterrorism, hostage rescue, etc), intelligence, and criminal investigations; the FARAJA also has responsibility for border security (Border Guard Command)CIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive
Military service age & obligation	16 for voluntary military service for men; military service is compulsory for all Iranian men at age 18 or 19 years of age; compulsory service obligation 14-21 months, depending on the location of service; women exempted from conscription but may volunteer (2025); note: conscripts may serve in the Artesh, IRGC, or Law EnforcementCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive
Arms imports (USD)	42,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Arms exports (USD)	226,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Military spending (% of GDP)	2.01 %SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Military spending (USD)	7,890,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]