Army releases ‘Know the Threat’ guide on Iranian soldiers

Several months into the war with Iran, the Army wants soldiers to be able to identify Iranian ground forces. Late last month, the Army published a  “quick recognition guide” so that soldiers can quickly spot Iranian ground troops. 

The infographic was published on Sept. 24 and comes roughly six months after the war started, as the conflict remains in tense standoff. Military Times first reported on the poster. The image depicts a member of Iran’s army, also called the Artesh, kitted out, as well as accompanying looks at rank insignia and equipment. It’s the latest in a series of graphics published by the Army’s Training and Transformation Command looking at the uniforms and equipment of peer and near-peer militaries.

The guide includes “typical uniform configurations and examples of various weaponry,” noting AKM assault rifles, Masaf-2 battle rifles and specific camouflage patterns. It also notes Iranian flag patches and sunglasses Iranian troops wear.

The Army has published similar “Know the Threat” infographics before, looking at ground troops from China’s People’s Liberation Army and the Russian military. 

The poster is specifically focused on the Iranian military, not members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s parallel armed force. The IRGC has been largely at the forefront of the war in recent months, with U.S. forces targeting the group’s launchers and sites in the Strait of Hormuz during renewed fighting in September.

The Iran war has largely been carried out with air and sea-based operations, as well as artillery attacks, rather than infantry combat. In early April, during combat search and rescue missions to recover the crew of a downed F-15E, special operations forces deployed inside Iran, although there are not reports of direct combat. 

The Army has taken the brunt of US casualties. Since Feb. 28, 13 of the 21 American deaths in the war have been soldiers, and 658 of the 865 wounded in action were from the Army.

Tens of thousands of troops remain in the CENTCOM area of operations. Those include hundreds of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne, who recently had their deployment to the Middle East extended.