The 65th Airborne Special Force Brigade of Iran showcases striking similarities to U.S. Special Operations Forces due to its historical training by American military personnel in the 1960s. Despite the passage of time and significant political changes, the unit continues to perform missions akin to those it was trained for, including counter-terrorism and irregular warfare.
Key points from this article:
The 65th Airborne Special Force Brigade, also known as the 65th NOHED Brigade, was trained by U.S. Army Special Forces in the 1960s, leading to similarities in insignia and operational tactics.
How the 65th Brigade's training allows it to conduct complex missions such as hostage rescue and counter-terrorism, which are crucial for supporting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria.
Why the historical connection to U.S. military training is significant, as it highlights the enduring legacy of American influence on Iranian military operations despite the 1979 Revolution.
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Iran’s Green Berets: The U.S.-Trained Commandos Fighting for Tehran
SOFREP News Team
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Iran’s 65th NOHED Brigade still carries the fingerprints of the American Green Berets who trained it in the 1960s, a Cold War partnership that built an elite force which survived revolution, war, and decades of geopolitical whiplash.
Iranian commandos of the 65th NOHED Brigade train with MP5 submachine guns while wearing the green beret legacy first introduced when U.S. Army Special Forces helped build the unit during the Cold War.
When looking at Iran’s 65th Airborne Special Force Brigade, you might notice a few striking features similar to U.S SOF units. For example, the Iranians’ yellow enlisted chevrons seem a lot like the yellow chevrons on the old Army greens. Additionally, before the Iranian Revolution, their unit insignia looked a lot like the De Oppresso Liber crest that signifies the United States Army Special Forces.
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The distinctive green beret worn by the Iranians may not be the same shade of green worn by today’s U.S. Army Special Forces, but Iranian special operators wear green for a reason — they were trained by Americans.
In the 1960s, the United States sent four operational detachments of Army Special Forces operators to Iran to train the Shah’s Imperial military forces. The Mobile Training Teams spent two years in-country as Military Assistance Advisory Group Iran. Before they could even get to Iran, the soldiers had to pass the Special Forces Officer course at Fort Bragg, then learn Farsi at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. Only then would they be shipped to Iran to train Iranian Special Forces.
An Iranian commando sporting the Green Beret and what looks eerily similar to the Special Forces badge.
Although it has been a long time since the 65th was a part of the Imperial Iranian Special Forces, the unit survived the Iranian Revolution 0f 1979 and made it through the brutal Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. It is now called 65th NOHED Brigade (which is just a Farsi acronym for “airborne special forces”).
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The unit’s missions are very similar to the ones the U.S. Special Forces trained it for in the 1960s. The unit performs hostage rescue, psychological operations, and irregular warfare missions; it also trains for counter-terrorism missions both inside and outside of Iran. Furthermore, it now advises the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as they fight for the Iran-dominated Assad regime in Syria against a fractured rebellion.
Inside the Iranian military, the unit is known as the “powerful ghosts.” The nickname stems from a mission undertaken by the 65th in the mid-1990s. The unit was tasked to capture buildings around Tehran from the regular military; it was able to achieve the mission in under two hours.
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The 65th’s current training includes endurance, survival, and combat training in desert, jungle, and mountain environments. Additionally, the unit conducts parachute and freefall training, as their erstwhile American allies taught them so long ago.
In the decades since the revolution, the 65th has quietly followed Iran’s expanding military footprint beyond its borders. Elements of the brigade have reportedly deployed to Syria alongside other Iranian forces supporting the Assad government, operating in roles that look strikingly familiar to the doctrine American Green Berets once taught them, advising partner forces, conducting special reconnaissance, and operating in small teams in politically sensitive environments. The irony is hard to miss. A unit born from U.S. Special Forces training during the Cold War now applies many of the same tactics on battlefields aligned against American interests.
If Iran’s current confrontation with the United States and Israel continues to expand, units like the 65th NOHED Brigade would almost certainly be among the formations Tehran leans on first.
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Their training, mobility, and experience operating in small teams make them well-suited for reconnaissance, cross-border raids, and advisory roles with Iran-aligned militias across the region.
And if the shooting widens, the fingerprints of American Special Forces doctrine may end up on the battlefield again, just wearing a different flag.
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