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Iran has reportedly deployed an elite anti-terrorism unit called NOPO to protect its newly appointed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei following the assassination of his father Ali Khamenei.The black-clad special forces have been tasked with protecting Mojtaba Khamenei following the death of the senior leader in the US-Israeli attack on the Tehran compound on February 28, the beginning of a military operation known as Operation Epic Fury, according to Fox News.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 now presumably protect Mojtaba Khamenei,” he told Fox News.
What is nopo force ?
NOPO is the Persian acronym for Nirouyeh Wijeh Pasdaran Velayat, which roughly translates as a special force assigned to protect the regime. Safavi said the unit was established in 1991 and evolved from the 28th Ruhollah Division, which was named after Ruhollah Khomeini.The force is relatively small but highly specialized, consisting of six brigades – four deployed in Tehran and others based in Mashhad and Isfahan. According to Safavi, the unit is “far more deadly, brutal and well-trained” than regular elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.Originally created to handle hostage rescue operations, the unit has also been deployed to deal with internal security threats and suppress anti-government protests. Safavi said some members have been involved in recent security crackdowns to prevent unrest across Iran.“Some of the NOPOs are now involved in the repressive and security measures that the regime has taken to crack down on protests elsewhere in recent days,” he said. He said the force had earlier also opened fire on protesters during the insurgency.
Security amid war and uncertainty
The deployment comes days after Iran’s Assembly of Experts on March 8 named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s third supreme leader following the assassination of his father.However, the new leader has not appeared publicly since the appointment. According to news agency AFP, officials said Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in the initial attack but remained “safe and well”.Analysts believe he is living in a highly secure location to avoid becoming a target in the ongoing conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel.Security deployment has also been expanded across the country. Fox News reported that hundreds of NOPO personnel have been deployed around prisons holding political prisoners, including the high-security Evin prison, amid fears of unrest during the war.This elite force has also faced international criticism. In 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on NOPO over what it described as “serious human rights abuses” against Iranian citizens.Mojtaba Khamenei is now the primary target in the current conflict, with analysts saying the highly trained unit is likely to be at the center of the regime’s efforts to protect its leadership.