File photo (Image credit: Getty Images)
Iran has reportedly deployed an elite anti-terrorism unit known as NOPO to protect newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei after the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei.According to Fox News, the black-clad special force was assigned to protect Mojtaba Khamenei after a US-Israeli raid on a compound in Tehran on February 28 that killed the supreme leader at the start of the military campaign known as Operation Epic Rage.
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Ali Safavi, an official with the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, said the elite unit would now be responsible for protecting the new leader.
“With Khamenei gone, NOPO will likely now protect Mojtaba Khamenei,” he told Fox News.
What is it Nobu power ?
NOPO is the Persian abbreviation for Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, which roughly translates to a special force tasked with protecting the regime. Safavi said that the unit was established in 1991 and evolved from the Ruhollah 28 Division, which was named after Ruhollah Khomeini.The force is relatively small but highly specialized, and consists of six brigades – four of which are stationed in Tehran and others are stationed in Mashhad and Isfahan.
According to Safavi, the unit is “more lethal, ruthless and well-trained” than regular elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.Originally created to handle hostage rescue missions, the unit has also been deployed to deal with internal security threats and suppress anti-government protests. Safavi said some members participated in recent security campaigns to prevent unrest across Iran.“Some members of NOPO are now involved in the repressive and security measures that the regime has also taken in recent days to prevent any protests from breaking out anywhere,” he added, adding that the force had previously opened fire on protesters during the uprisings.
Protection amidst war and uncertainty
This deployment comes days after the Iranian Assembly of Experts appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s third supreme leader on March 8, after the assassination of his father.However, the new leader has not appeared in public since his appointment. According to Agence France-Presse, officials said that Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in the initial strike but remained “safe and in good health.”Analysts believe he is likely to be staying in a very secure location to avoid becoming a target in the ongoing conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel.Security deployments have also expanded across the country. Fox News reported that hundreds of NOPO members are stationed around prisons holding political detainees, including the high-security Evin prison, amid fears of unrest during the war.The elite force also faced international criticism. In 2021, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on NOPO for what it described as “serious human rights violations” against Iranian citizens.With Mojtaba Khamenei now the main target in the ongoing conflict, analysts say the highly trained unit is likely to remain central to the regime’s efforts to protect its leadership.
