After Israeli intelligence infiltration, Iran deploys elite NOPO force to guard new leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Iran has reportedly deployed an elite counterterrorism unit known as NOPO to protect its newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei, during the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

According to Fox News, the black clad special force has been assigned to safeguard Mojtaba Khamenei after a US Israeli strike on a compound in Tehran on February 28 killed the elder leader. The strike marked the start of a military campaign described as Operation Epic Fury.

Ali Safavi, an official with the Paris based National Council of Resistance of Iran, said the elite unit has been tasked with securing the new leader. “With Khamenei gone, NOPO will likely now be protecting Mojtaba Khamenei,” he told Fox News.

What is Iran’s NOPO force

NOPO is the Farsi acronym for Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, which roughly translates to a special force responsible for protecting the regime.

The unit was established in 1991 and evolved from the 28th Ruhollah Division, named after Iran’s revolutionary leader Ruhollah Khomeini, according to Safavi. Although relatively small, the force is highly specialised and structured into six brigades.

Four of these brigades are stationed in Tehran, while the remaining units operate from Mashhad and Isfahan.

Safavi told Fox News that the unit is considered more lethal, ruthless and better trained than regular elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Role of NOPO in security operations

The force was originally created to handle hostage rescue missions but has since taken on a broader role in internal security operations.

According to Safavi, NOPO personnel have also been deployed during periods of unrest to suppress anti government protests and manage internal security threats.

“Some of the NOPO are now involved in the suppressive and security measures the regime has also undertaken in recent days to prevent any outbreak of protests anywhere,” he said, adding that members of the unit have previously opened fire on demonstrators during uprisings.

Security tightened after Mojtaba Khamenei named supreme leader

The deployment comes days after Iran’s Assembly of Experts named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s third supreme leader on March 8, following the assassination of his father.

However, the new leader has not appeared in public since his appointment. According to news agency AFP, officials said Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured in the initial strike but remained safe.

Analysts believe he is likely staying in a highly secure location amid fears that he could become a target during the continuing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

Security presence expanded across Iran

Security deployments have also increased across the country in response to fears of unrest during the ongoing conflict.

Fox News reported that hundreds of NOPO personnel have been stationed around prisons holding political detainees, including the high security Evin Prison.

The elite unit has also faced international scrutiny. In 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on NOPO, accusing the force of serious human rights abuses against Iranian citizens.

Analysts say that with Mojtaba Khamenei now the central figure in Iran’s leadership during the conflict, the specialised unit is likely to remain a key component of the regime’s efforts to protect its top leadership.