On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched surprise attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran, triggering a significant conflict that has broadened into a regional war. Given Iran’s vast military capabilities and a population exceeding 93 million, concerns have escalated regarding the scale of military engagement the US and Israel are confronting.
Before the onset of hostilities, Iran maintained a sizable military presence. The bulk of its armored vehicles, particularly tanks, were procured from the Soviet Union, augmented by domestically produced units. Estimates suggest that Iran possessed approximately 1,900 tanks of various models, with precise figures remaining elusive due to the murkiness in data and the lack of recent open military conflicts involving such armored units.
This assessment originates from the 2019 Iran Military Power report, published by the US Defense Intelligence Agency. Although the data may be somewhat dated, the absence of significant military engagements involving armored vehicles since the report’s release implies the figures could still be relevant.
Iran’s Pre-War Tank Fleet
Iran operates two land forces: the regular armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). While these entities are distinct, they utilize similar military hardware. Among their fleet is the domestically manufactured Tosan, a lightweight tank with an unspecified operational quantity. Additionally, Iran employs Chieftain Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), which have been upgraded to the domestic Mobarez MBT standard.
Coupled with approximately 50 enhanced M-60A1 tanks supplied by the United States, these assets have limited combat effectiveness. Iran’s primary armored strength is attributed to multiple variants of the Soviet-produced T-72 tanks. In 2020, Iran began modernizing its T-72 fleet, claiming to have 565 units; however, this figure remains unverified. It is plausible that hundreds of operational T-72 tanks were ready for deployment at the outset of the conflict in 2026.
Moreover, Iran employs three models of the Zulfiqar main battle tank, a domestically developed vehicle based on both T-72 and M-60 designs. While WarPowerIran estimates the total number of Zulfiqar tanks to be around 250, the exact count is unclear. The most recently developed tank, the Karrar, is believed to have about 100 operational units. Due to the secretive nature of the Iranian government and the IRGC, certainty regarding these figures is challenging, yet overall estimates suggest Iran’s tank inventory remains around 1,900 units, though these vehicles are not directly comparable to the US M1A2 Abrams MBT.
