Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei Defies Attacks as US Eyes 350,000 Troops

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Oct. 8 that American and Israeli attacks had not compromised Iran’s internal security forces. He praised police personnel for standing firm during strikes carried out in February under Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion.

Khamenei made the comments on X as the U.S. Army issued a battlefield recognition guide designed to help American troops identify members of Iran’s conventional military, the Artesh. The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security estimated in June that the Artesh’s ground forces numbered about 350,000 personnel.

“The criminal US-Zionist enemy’s desperate efforts and malicious attacks on the pillars of social order and security, which are unparalleled throughout history, have not caused the courageous personnel of the Police Force to waver even a fraction in their mission,” Khamenei wrote.

He singled out Iran’s Law Enforcement Command, known as FARAJA, and accused the United States and Israel of deliberately attacking the organization responsible for preserving order inside the country.

“The focus and persistence of the criminal US-Zionist enemy in striking at the Police Force at its various levels, from its highest command levels down to those who are on the frontline, has only served to underscore the paramount importance of this institution more than ever,” he said.

Iran’s security structure is divided among three major forces. The Artesh handles conventional national defense, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps protects the Islamic Republic and extends its military influence, and FARAJA oversees policing and internal security.

Led by Brig. Gen. Ahmadreza Radan, FARAJA is tasked with maintaining public order, enforcing Iranian law and dealing with civil unrest.

The Iran Human Rights Monitor says FARAJA has grown into a central internal security institution. Its responsibilities include suppressing antigovernment protests, tracking political activity and enforcing the regime’s ideological rules.

The United States has sanctioned Radan over alleged human rights violations.

The Treasury Department designated him in September 2010, saying he was responsible for beatings, deaths and arbitrary detentions of demonstrators after Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election.

Khamenei also urged Iran to expand FARAJA by adding more personnel, modern equipment and advanced technology, including artificial intelligence tools for analyzing data.

His statement followed the U.S. Army Training and Transformation Command’s publication of a “Know the Threat” identification guide on Sept. 24. Defense News reported on the document Oct. 9.

The guide features an Iranian special operations soldier and lists weapons U.S. troops may encounter, including AKM assault rifles, Iranian-made Masaf-2 rifles, German-designed G3 rifles, MG3 machine guns and RPG-7 rocket launchers.

Iran’s regular military, the Artesh, operates independently of the IRGC and its associated Basij militia. It is organized into four branches: ground forces, naval forces, the air force and the air defense force.

A June analysis from the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security put the Artesh ground forces at roughly 350,000 members, including about 220,000 conscripts.

The assessment concluded that the Artesh’s air, naval and air defense units had sustained serious losses during the initial stage of the U.S.-Israeli campaign. Its ground forces, however, remained largely intact because no ground invasion had taken place.

The Artesh is commanded by Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, a former Iranian defense minister who assumed command in June 2025.

Aside from Khamenei, Hatami issued his own warning Oct. 6, claiming Iran’s adversaries faced “historic confusion” after failing to halt military production during the conflict.

Hatami also claimed that Iranian defense production continued despite American and Israeli attacks, saying the country’s military production lines had continued operating during the conflict.

The extent of Iran’s military recovery remains unclear. The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security assessed in June that the country’s conventional air, naval and air defense forces had suffered severe damage during the conflict.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said Oct. 8 that Washington would not resume military strikes against Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, citing “productive discussions” between the two countries.