New Delhi: As the Iranian regime reels from the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Tehran may have deployed its most secretive and elite security unit to protect his successor and son, Mojtaba Khamenei, opposition groups believe.
The unit is NOPO—the Farsi acronym for Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, which translates roughly as “special forces to protect the Supreme Leader”.
An ultra-specialised counterterrorism force, NOPO, is expected to have been tasked with ensuring the survival of Mojtaba, 56, who has been moved to a secure, undisclosed location since the 28 February strike by US-Israel that also killed other members of Tehran’s top brass.
Ali Safavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) told Fox News earlier this week, “With Khamenei gone, NOPO will likely now be protecting Mojtaba Khamenei.” NCRI is a France- and Albania-based coalition of Iranian opposition groups that seeks to overthrow the Islamic Republic established after the 1979 revolution.
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What is NOPO?
Founded in 1991, NOPO evolved from the 28th Rohallah Division—named after Iran’s first Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini—into a specialised force distinct from the broader Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), according to Safavi.
It is classified as an elite riot police formation under the special unit command but operates with considerable secrecy and sophistication, an NDTV report said.
Structurally compact, NOPO comprises six brigades. Four are permanently stationed in Tehran to enable rapid response; the remaining two are deployed in Mashhad and Isfahan, Safavi said.
This configuration, Safavi said, allows the force to maintain a continuous security cordon around critical government infrastructure and other high-value targets.
The unit is believed to have been activated during several major episodes of domestic unrest: the 1999 student protests, the 2019 unrest, and the widespread protests that followed the killing of Mahsa Amini, who was detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating hijab laws, in 2023.
According to reports, Tehran deploys the unit to quell any protests because of its steadfast loyalty to the regime.
Lethality and loyalty
NOPO is regarded as more lethal, ruthless, and better-trained than the IRGC—itself one of Iran’s most formidable military institutions, according to Safavi.
He noted that the IRGC is mandated to defend the Islamic Revolution from both external and internal threats, but NOPO is specifically designed for high-stakes scenarios, including hostage rescue and the neutralisation of internal security threats.
That specialisation has made it the preferred security apparatus for Iran’s top leadership. Safavi noted that “Khamenei did not trust any other security force for his protection”, adding: “This absolute loyalty is a crucial factor in high-intensity internal conflicts where the regime’s survival is at stake.”
According to Safavi, NOPO has been deployed for Ali Khamenei’s security in the past. It isn’t clear which force is typically deployed for the task.
Mojtaba Khamenei was named as his father Ali Khamenei’s successor on 9 March. Though he hasn’t made a public appearance yet, a speech handed out to state media quoted him saying that Iran will continue its retaliatory military operations against the US and Israel, and their Gulf allies.
The Times of Israel reported that Mojtaba was wounded in the conflict, and is unlikely to make a public appearance for now.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday disclosed implicitly that Tel Aviv will target Mojtaba.
“I wouldn’t issue life insurance policies on any of the leaders of the terrorist organisation… I don’t intend to provide an exact report here about what we are planning or what we are going to do,” he said at a press conference.
US President Donald Trump, too, this week claimed that the war had severely weakened the Iranian regime. “They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost their air force. They have no anti-aircraft apparatus at all. They have no radar. Their leaders are gone… and we can do a lot worse,” he had said.
Trump said Thursday that Mojtaba Khamenei was “probably alive in some form”, but he was “damaged”.
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