Counter-terrorism Special Force

Iranian police tactical unit

NOPO (Persian: نوپو), officially standing for Counter-terrorism Special Force (Persian: نیروی ویژه پاد وحشت, romanized: Nīrū-yi Vizhe-yi Pād Vahshat),^[1] is an Iranian riot police force acting under Amīr al-Mu'minīn Unit of the Special Units Command.^[1]

NOPO's duty is usually mentioned hostage rescue, but it is argued that the unit is a riot police, as it was involved in Iran student protests, July 1999 according to a report by Supreme National Security Council.^[1]

The NOPO acronym had been claimed to be an acronym for "Wilayat Guardian Special Force" (Persian: نیروی ویژه پاسدار ولایت, romanized: Nīrū-yi Vizhe-yi Pāsdār-i Vilāyat) by reformist media in late 1990s; the association was denied.^[1]

History

The operational history of the Anti-Terror Special Forces includes deployments against internal security threats.^[2]

References

^ a b c d Bastani, Hossein (23 July 2014) [1 July 2013]. "Afsānah va vāqe'īyat dar mūrad-i 'amalīyāt-i 'Nūpū' dar Īrān" افسانه و واقعیت در مورد عملیات 'نوپو' در ایران [Myth and Reality About 'NOPO' Operations in Iran]. BBC News Fārsī BBC News فارسی [BBC News Persian] (in Persian). BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
^ Hunter, Shireen T. (2010). Iran's foreign policy in the post-Soviet era : resisting the new international order. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 55. ISBN 9780313381942.

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[BBC-1] Bastani, Hossein (23 July 2014) [1 July 2013]. "Afsānah va vāqe'īyat dar mūrad-i 'amalīyāt-i 'Nūpū' dar Īrān" افسانه و واقعیت در مورد عملیات 'نوپو' در ایران [Myth and Reality About 'NOPO' Operations in Iran]. BBC News Fārsī BBC News فارسی [BBC News Persian] (in Persian). BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2026.

[IranForPol-2] Hunter, Shireen T. (2010). Iran's foreign policy in the post-Soviet era : resisting the new international order. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 55. ISBN 9780313381942.