When the first U.S.-Israeli airstrikes hit Iran on February 28, they killed Mojtaba Khamenei’s immediate family, including his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his wife, and their teenage son. But despite the devastation, the man who would soon emerge as Iran’s new supreme leader survived, albeit seriously injured. Behind that unlikely escape may be the shadowy hand of Iran’s most secretive elite security unit, known as NOPO.
However, Mojtaba has not been seen in person since being named his father’s successor. In his first statement on Thursday, the new supreme leader pledged that Iran would continue to fight. However, a news anchor read the statement. Recent reports have suggested that Mojtaba is likely in a coma, with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claiming he is “disfigured”. But Mojtaba must be saved and the task of protecting him falls on NOPO.
NOPO is the Persian abbreviation for Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat. This roughly translates to ‘special forces whose mission is to protect the regime.’ In a recent interview with Fox News, Ali Safavi, an official with the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said special forces were tasked with securing Mojtaba. “With Khamenei gone, the NOPO will now protect Mojtaba Khamenei,” Safavi said.
What is Iran’s NOPO?
Established in 1991 during the regime of Iran’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, NOPO was separated from the 28th Lohala Division, which was tasked with protecting him. It was managed separately from the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Now let’s look at Iran’s security structure. There is a regular army called Artesh, which consists of ground forces, air force, navy, and air defense forces.
Then comes the IRGC, created after the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty. The IRGC, with about 1.2 million personnel, reports directly to the supreme leader and operates independently of the regular army. Over the years, the IRGC has built a network of proxy militias in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.
NOPO is distinct from the IRGC. It is deadlier, more ruthless and better trained than the IRGC and operates with great secrecy. The military is not as large as the IRGC, but is highly specialized. While four brigades protect the supreme leader, two other brigades are stationed in key nuclear facilities, Mashhad and Isfahan.
Getting into elite units is complicated and highly selective. In a 2016 interview with Iranian news agency ISNA, former NOPO commander Hossein Amjadian said strict screening was needed. After selection, employees undergo extensive physical and tactical training. Employees must also be experts in martial arts and self-defense.
Where are NOPO units deployed?
The black-clad special forces are specifically deployed to quell internal threats, protests and hostage situations.
NOPO is believed to have been active during key stages of domestic unrest, from the 1999 student protests to the 2022 uprising following the custodial death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Amini was detained by Iran’s moral police for not wearing the hijab ‘properly’ and later died in custody.
Amini’s death sparked protests unlike anything Iran had ever seen before. More than 500 people were killed in the violent crackdown ordered by Khamenei.
NOPOs were at the heart of these high-risk scenarios. “This type of absolute loyalty is a critical element in high-intensity internal conflicts where the regime’s survival depends on it,” NCRI’s Safavi told Fox News.
In 2021, the United States imposed sanctions on NOPO for committing “serious human rights violations.” But in Iran, elite counter-terrorism units remain a vital asset, tasked with protecting successive generations of supreme leaders.
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