Islamic Republic of Iran Army

The Islamic Republic of Iran Army, commonly known as the Artesh, is the conventional military force of Iran and one of its two military forces, the other being the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It is tasked with protecting the territorial integrity of the country from external and internal threats and consists of four service branches: the Ground Forces, the Air Force, the Navy and the Air Defense Force. The Artesh and the Guard Corps divide security duties under the constitution, with the Artesh responsible for defending independence and territorial integrity, and a rivalry persists between them over resources and influence. The army was taken by surprise by the 1980 Iraqi invasion that began the Iran-Iraq War, and it later took part in United Nations peacekeeping, anti-piracy patrols and deployments abroad.