Takavaran is the term used for a type of Iranian special forces troops. To be eligible for Takavar selection, a candidate must have at least two years regular service in the Iranian Armed Forces. Personnel must be male and if an individual is selected for Takavar, he will then go through an intense 20 month Operator Training Course.

The takavaran (plural of takavar) fall under the direct command of the regular Iranian Army (Artesh).
They are directly comparable to the U.S. Army Special Forces of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

, and Special Boat Service

Special Boat Service

The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...

 of United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, Royal Marine Commandos through a near identical training and selection program.
The Most Famous Units Are:

• 1-Lashgare 78 Takavar Zolfaghar {78 Commando}.
• 2-Tip 55 Havabord (Shiraz) {55 Airborne}.
• 3-Lashgare 23 Special Forces {23 Special Force}.
• 4-Tip 45 Takavar (Andimeshk Ahvaz) {45 Commando}.
• 5-Gorouh 99 Padafand Havaie (Tehran) {99 Air Assault}.
• 6-Gorouhan Takavar Pasdar Setad Gharargah (Mini City Tehran) {Guard Unit, Central Command}.

Equipment

Takavaran are outfitted with German-designed smallarms. Rifles such as the HK G3 (regular and short barreled), HK-91, and HK-53 have been used. In some instances AK-47

AK-47

The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...

's, AK-74

AK-74

The AK-74 is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s in the Soviet Union as the replacement for the earlier AKM...

's, and AK-103

AK-103

The AK-103 is a modern, Russian-designed version of the famous AKM assault rifle, chambered for the 7.62×39mm M43 round. It combines the AKM design with developments from the AK-74 and AK-74M, with the use of plastics to replace metal or wooden components wherever possible to reduce overall weight...

 assault rifles have also been used. The MP-5 submachine gun

Submachine gun

A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...

is sometimes used for CQB missions.