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Iran has reportedly deployed an elite counterterrorism portion known arsenic NOPO to support its recently appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei pursuing the assassination of his begetter Ali Khamenei.According to Fox News, the black-clad peculiar unit has been tasked with safeguarding Mojtaba Khamenei aft a US-Israeli onslaught connected a Tehran compound connected February 28 killed the elder person astatine the commencement of the subject run known arsenic Operation Epic Fury.Ali Safavi, an authoritative with the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, said the elite portion would present beryllium liable for protecting the caller leader.
“With Khamenei gone, NOPO volition apt present beryllium protecting Mojtaba Khamenei,” helium told Fox News.
What is the NOPO force?
NOPO is the Farsi acronym for Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, astir translated arsenic a peculiar unit tasked with protecting the regime. The portion was established successful 1991 and evolved from the 28th Ruhollah Division, named aft Ruhollah Khomeini, Safavi said.The unit is comparatively tiny but highly specialised, consisting of six brigades — 4 stationed successful Tehran and others based successful Mashhad and Isfahan.
According to Safavi, the portion is “far much lethal, ruthless and well-trained” than regular elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.Originally created to grip hostage rescue missions, the portion has besides been deployed to woody with interior information threats and suppress anti-government protests. Safavi said immoderate members person been progressive successful caller information crackdowns to forestall unrest crossed Iran.“Some of the NOPO are present progressive successful the suppressive and information measures the authorities has besides undertaken successful caller days to forestall immoderate outbreak of protests anywhere,” helium said, adding that the unit has antecedently opened occurrence connected demonstrators during uprisings.
Protection amid warfare and uncertainty
The deployment comes days aft Iran’s Assembly of Experts named Mojtaba Khamenei arsenic the country’s 3rd ultimate person connected March 8, pursuing his father’s assassination.However, the caller person has not appeared publically since his appointment. According to quality bureau AFP, officials said Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured successful the archetypal onslaught but remained “safe and sound.”Analysts judge helium is apt staying successful a highly unafraid determination to debar becoming a people successful the ongoing struggle betwixt Iran, the United States and Israel.Security deployments person besides expanded crossed the country. Fox News reported that hundreds of NOPO unit person been stationed astir prisons holding governmental detainees, including the high-security Evin Prison, amid fears of unrest during the war.The elite unit has besides faced planetary criticism. In 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions connected NOPO implicit what it described arsenic “serious quality rights abuses” against Iranian citizens.With Mojtaba Khamenei present the superior people successful the ongoing conflict, analysts accidental the highly trained portion is apt to stay cardinal to the regime’s efforts to support its leadership.
