27th Mohammad Rasulullah Division

The 27th Mohammad Rasulullah Division was a Tehran-based formation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Forces. It originated as the 27th Mohammad Rasulullah Brigade during the Iran–Iraq War and was associated with commanders Hossein Qajeyi, Ahmad Motevasselian, and Mohammad Ebrahim Hemmat. The brigade was expanded into a division shortly before Operation Jerusalem, the major Iranian offensive that culminated in the recapture of Khorramshahr in 1982. The formation became one of the most prominent IRGC units of the war. Mohsen Rezaee, who served as IRGC commander-in-chief during the conflict, later grouped it with the 14th Imam Hossein Division, the 31st Ashura Division, and the 8th Najaf Division as exceptionally effective formations whose deployment was repeatedly associated with battlefield success. The 27th was particularly linked to the Tehran revolutionary and mobilization environment, drawing on personnel and support networks connected to the capital. In the postwar period, the unit’s role developed beyond conventional battlefield operations. The formation was incorporated into the broader security and mobilization structure responsible for Tehran. During an IRGC reorganization in 2008, it was merged with Tehran’s Basij organization to create the Mohammad Rasulullah Corps of Greater Tehran. The former divisional identity nevertheless continued to be used in descriptions of the corps’ operational component, generally identified as the 27th Mechanized Infantry Operational Division. The Tehran organization described in relation to the former division is a cadre formation with four battalions. For combat operations, it can be reinforced by Basij Imam Hussein battalions and Sabirin rapid-reaction units. Its metropolitan security architecture also includes Basij resistance districts, precincts, neighborhood bases, specialized Fatehin battalions, citywide security units, and cyberspace cultural-operations battalions. These elements cover a wide range of functions, including urban security, riot control, cultural and cyber activities, civil defense, and search-and-rescue support. The formation is therefore best understood not as a commercial brand but as a military and internal-security organization whose historical identity began in the Iran–Iraq War and whose institutional functions were later absorbed into the IRGC’s Tehran command structure. The standalone division is generally treated as a former formation following the 2008 reorganization, while successor structures continue to perform related operational and security roles in Greater Tehran.

The 27th Mohammad Rasulullah Division emerged from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ wartime expansion during the Iran–Iraq War. It was initially organized as the 27th Mohammad Rasulullah Brigade by Hossein Qajeyi, Ahmad Motevasselian, and Mohammad Ebrahim Hemmat. The brigade drew its identity from Tehran and became associated with the revolutionary mobilization networks of the capital. Shortly before Operation Jerusalem, the brigade was enlarged into a division. The formation subsequently became one of the IRGC’s best-known wartime units. Former IRGC commander-in-chief Mohsen Rezaee later cited it alongside several other major IRGC divisions as a formation whose deployment was consistently associated with successful operations against Iraqi forces. After the war, the unit’s institutional role shifted from a primarily conventional wartime formation toward a broader Tehran-centered security and mobilization structure. In 2008, it was merged with Tehran’s Basij organization during an IRGC reorganization. This process produced the Mohammad Rasulullah Corps of Greater Tehran, while related operational functions continued to be described through the 27th Mechanized Infantry Operational Division. The successor structure combines military, paramilitary, metropolitan-security, and ideological-mobilization functions. Its described operational forces include a four-battalion cadre formation, reinforcement by Basij Imam Hussein battalions, and Sabirin rapid-reaction units. Its security network is organized through Tehran’s municipal divisions, Basij resistance districts, precincts, neighborhood bases, and specialist formations. These units are assigned responsibilities ranging from riot control and urban defense to cultural activity, cyber operations, and emergency response. The former division’s historical significance thus rests on two phases: its wartime development and reputation during the Iran–Iraq War, followed by its absorption into the IRGC’s postwar Tehran command system. It is not a commercial enterprise and has no conventional products, shareholders, or consumer market. Its present institutional legacy is represented by the Mohammad Rasulullah Corps of Greater Tehran and associated operational and security units.

• 2008

  Merger into the Mohammad Rasulullah Corps of Greater Tehran

  [1]27th Mohammad Rasulullah Divisionen.wikipedia.org

  The division was merged with Tehran’s Basij organization during an IRGC reorganization, creating the Mohammad Rasulullah Corps of Greater Tehran.

• Formation as the 27th Mohammad Rasulullah Brigade

  [1]27th Mohammad Rasulullah Divisionen.wikipedia.org

  The formation was established during the Iran–Iraq War by Hossein Qajeyi, Ahmad Motevasselian, and Mohammad Ebrahim Hemmat.

• Expansion from brigade to division

  [1]27th Mohammad Rasulullah Divisionen.wikipedia.org

  The brigade was expanded into a division shortly before Operation Jerusalem.

Military formation and internal-security organization within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, rather than a commercial brand.

• 2008

  Reorganization and merger with Tehran BasijStrategy

  Background

  The IRGC reorganized its Tehran-centered forces and combined the former division with the Basij organization in the capital.

  Action taken

  The two structures were merged to form the Mohammad Rasulullah Corps of Greater Tehran.

  Aftermath

  The standalone divisional structure was absorbed into a broader corps responsible for operational, metropolitan-security, mobilization, cultural, and cyber-related functions.

  Source

1. 127th Mohammad Rasulullah Divisionen.wikipedia.org