Iran’s defense ministry; responsible for defense research, development, and manufacturing, including support for Iran’s missile and nuclear programs.

Supervises Iran’s development and production of missiles, including missiles used by Houthi rebels in Yemen; produces ammunition, body armor, chemicals, electronics, missiles, vehicles, weapons, and aerial, aerospace, and naval equipment for the Iranian military; also manufactures civilian products, including aircraft, computers, and non-military vehicles; claims to export products to over 43 countries.

Has brokered transactions involving materials and technologies with ballistic missile applications; has provided logistical support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the IRGC Quds Force.

In 2019, reportedly unveiled the "15 Khordad" air defense system; in 2018, reportedly opened a factory in Isfahan for the production of advanced optoelectronic equipment; as of 2017, had reportedly collaborated with the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology on 1,200 projects.

Subordinate entities include:

• Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO)
• Aircraft Industries Group (AIG)
• Armed Forces Geographical Organization
• Cooperative Foundation of the Defense Ministry
• Defense Industries Organization (DIO)
• Etka Organization
• Heavy Metal Industries (HMI)
• Intelligence Protection Organization
• Iran Electronics Industries (IEI)
• Iranian Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO)
• Ministry of Defense Logistics Export (MODLEX)
• Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND)
• Shahid Beheshti University (SBU)
• State Purchasing Organization (SPO)

Affiliates include the chemistry department of Malek Ashtar University, Shahid Zeinodin Chemical Industries and reportedly Shahid Meisami Group and Shahid Moslemi Industries.

Carries out military procurement through AIG, AIO, DIO, IEI, and SPO; has reportedly received technical support from IEI subsidiaries Information Systems of Iran (ISIRAN) and Shiraz Electronic Industries (SEI); has facilitated shipments through Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL); reportedly collaborates with 5,000 Iranian companies.

Has received financial services from Bank Mellat, Bank Refah Kargaran, Bank Tejarat, the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), and the Export Development Bank of Iran (EDBI); has received 100 million in dollars and euros and 130 million dollars’ worth of goods and services on behalf of the IRGC from Ansar Exchange.

Led by Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami, who replaced Hossein Dehghan; other current and former personnel include Ahmad Vahidi (minister), Mostafa Mohammad Najjar (minister), Ali Shamkhani (minister), Sayyad Medhi Farahi (deputy), Reza Mozaffarinia Hosein (deputy defense minister), IRGC Brigadier-General Javad Darvish-Vand (deputy for inspection), Brigadier-General Beik Mohammadlu (deputy for supplies and logistics), Rear Admiral Mohammad Shafi'i Rudsari (deputy for coordination), IRGC Brigadier-General Ali Shamshiri (deputy for counter-intelligence), Mojtaba Haeri (engineer and deputy for industry), Fereidoun Abbasi-Davani (senior scientist), Mohsen Fakhrizadeh-Mahabadi (senior scientist), Naser Maleki, and Seyed Mohammad Hashemi.

Established in 1989 after the merger of Iran’s stand-alone defense ministry and an independent ministry that oversaw the IRGC.

Sanctions

Listed by the European Union on June 24, 2008, as an entity linked to Iran's proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities or Iran's development of nuclear weapon delivery systems; with some exceptions, EU member states must freeze assets owned or controlled by the entity, directly or indirectly, and prevent assets from being made available to it.

Designated by the U.S. Department of State on October 25, 2007, pursuant to Executive Order 13382; added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on October 25, 2007, freezing its assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting transactions with U.S. parties, pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems; also designated pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism; sanctioned (with all successors and sub-units) by the U.S. Department of State on May 19, 1996, April 7, 2000, and November 21, 2000, for missile technology proliferation activities.

Sanctioned by the South Korean government on September 9, 2010, restricting financial transactions with the entity.

Listed by the Japanese government in 2019 as an entity of concern for proliferation relating to missiles and nuclear weapons.