Military ranks of Imperial Iran

Imperial ranks

The military ranks of Imperial Iran are the military insignia used by the Military of Imperial Iran.

Commander-in-chief insignia

Branch	Army	Navy	Air force
Insignia
Persian	آریابد
Romanization	Aryabod
Literal translation	Chief/Guardian of the Aryans

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Imperial Iranian Ground Force[1][2]
			ارتشبد Arteshbod		سپهبد Sepahbod		سرلشکر Sarlashkar		سرتیپ Sartip		سرهنگ Sarhang		سرهنگ دوم Sarhang dovom		سرگرد Sargord		سروان Sarvān		ستوان یکم Sotvān yekom		ستوان دوم Sotvān dovom		ستوان سوم Sotvān sevom
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		First lieutenant		Second lieutenant		Third lieutenant
Imperial Iranian Navy[1][2]
			دریابد Daryabod		دریاسالار Daryasalar		دریابان Daryaban		دریادار Daryadar		ناخدا یکم Nakhoda yekom		ناخدا دوم Nakhoda dovom		ناخدا سوم Nakhoda sevom		ناوسروان Navsarvan		ناوبان یکم Navban yekom		ناوبان دوم Navban dovom		ناوبان سوم Navban sevom
			Admiral		Vice admiral		Rear admiral		Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant (junior grade)		Ensign		Ensign junior grade
Imperial Iranian Air Force[1][2]
			ارتشبد Arteshbod		سپهبد Sepahbod		سرلشکر Sarlashkar		سرتیپ Sartip		سرهنگ Sarhang		سرهنگ دوم Sarhang dovom		سرگرد Sargord		سروان Sarvān		ستوان یکم Sotvān yekom		ستوان دوم Sotvān dovom		ستوان سوم Sotvān sevom
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		First lieutenant		Second lieutenant		Third lieutenant
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Imperial Iranian Ground Forces[1][2]																															No insignia
	سراستوار یکم Sarostovār yekom				سراستوار دوم Sarostovār dovom				استوار یکم Ostavār yekom				استوار دوم Ostavār dovom				گروهبان یکم Goruhbān yekom						گروهبان دوم Goruhbān dovom		گروهبان سوم Goruhbān sevom		سرجوخه Sarjukhe		سرباز یکم Sarbāz yekom		سرباز صفر Sarbāz sefr
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted

See also

• Military ranks of Iran

References

1. Rudolph, James P. (1978). "Armed Forces". In Nyrop, Richard F. (ed.). Iran: a country study. Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 413. LCCN 78-11871. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
2. US Department of Defence (1962). "Iran". Military Uniforms DOD Pam 1-14.

External links

• "Iran 1925-1979 (Imperial State of Persia)". uniforminsignia.org. The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
• "قانون ترفیعات ارتش شاهنشاهی ایران" [Law on Promotions of the Imperial Iranian Army] (in Persian). 1936. Retrieved 5 October 2025.