Iran

The present Islamic Republic of Iran (جمهوری اسلامی ایران) can trace its heritage back to the Elamite Kingdom of 2800 BC, and the subsequent Achaemenid, Hellenic Seleucid, Parthian and Sassanid Empires. A constitutional monarchy was established in 1906, but toppled during the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

The Armed Forces of Iran consist of two distinct and separate forces: the conventional Armed Forces (including the Army, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Force) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The latter includes branches equivalent to those of the conventional forces, plus Quds Force (special operations and the Basij paramilitary volunteer force. The Iranian Police Force are charged with domestic law enforcement.

The government of Iran has been a frequent supporter of revolutionary insurgent movements around the world, most notably Hezbollah (حزب الله or "party of God), which has been notably active in both Lebanon and Palestine.

Iranian Camouflage Patterns

• One of Iran's oldest camouflage designs traces its origins to the Shah period, where it was worn by the Imperial Guard. A vertical lizard or stripe pattern featuring dark green and brown on a pale green background, several variations continued in use with this nation for the next twenty years.

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• Once an ally of the United States, Iran produced several copies of the US m1942 spot pattern camouflage beginning in the 1970s. They continue to be worn into the present period, with a wide variety of colorways having been produced. The most commonly encountered of these are the tan or desert versions, frequently worn by Commandos and other special operations personnel

• A variation of this pattern substitutes mint green for the more common khaki-brown.

• Several other variations are seen here, having distinctive colorways and primarily worn by Basij units of the IRGC.

• Incoporating a different set of drawings, the pattern seen here is often called "panther"

• Dating to the Iran-Iraq War, several vertical lizard camouflage designs have also been employed by Basij units of the IRGC.

• A variation of the four-color desert DPM camouflage pattern first developed in the United Kingdom was also worn by some units during the Iran-Iraq War.