Second brigadier general (Iran)

{{Short description|Military rank in Iran}}

{{Infobox military rank

| name = {{lang|fa-Latn|Sartip dovom}}

| native_name = {{native name|fa|سرتیپ دوم}}

| image = Sartip 2 (cropped).png

| image_size = 100px

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| caption = Insignia

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| country = {{flag|Iran}}

| service branch = {{ubl|{{army|Iran|name=Iranian Ground Forces}}|{{air force|Iran|name=Iranian Air Force}}|{{flagicon image|Flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force.svg}} Iranian Air Defense Force|{{flagicon image|Flag of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.svg}} Revolutionary Guard Ground Forces|{{flagicon image|Flag of the Aerospace Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.svg}} Revolutionary Guard Aerospace Force|{{flagicon image|Flag of the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran.svg}} Iranian Law Enforcement Command}}

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| rank group = General officer

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| formation = 1987

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| higher rank = {{lang|fa-Latn|Sartip}} (brigadier general)

| lower rank = {{lang|fa-Latn|Sarhang}} (colonel)

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Second brigadier general ({{langx|fa|سرتیپ دوم|Sartip dovom|lit=Second brigade leader}}) is a senior military rank in the armed forces of Iran. The rank was introduced in 1987 as part of a new modified ranking system. Currently, there is no equivalent for the rank of second brigadier general in other countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer rank in the armed forces of Iran and lies between the ranks of colonel and brigadier general. However, the equivalent rank in the Iranian navy is the rank of Second flotilla admiral.{{Cite web|url=https://bootcampmilitaryfitnessinstitute.com/military-and-outdoor-fitness-articles/stars-generals-an-outline-of-the-highest-military-ranks/stars-generals-part-two-one-star-general-officer-ranks/|title=Stars & Generals – Part Two: One-Star General Officer Ranks|date=2017-09-11|website=Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-25}}{{Cite journal|last=Golkar|first=Saeid|date=2019|title=The Supreme Leader and the guard Civil-Military Relations and Regime Survival in Iran|url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/PolicyNote58-Golkar.pdf|journal=Policy Notes|volume=58|pages=26|via=The Washington Institute for Near East Policy}}“An Interview with the IRGC’s Deputy of Human Resources” (in Persian), Basirat, July 4, 2010, http://bit . ly/2FHnCpK

In Persian, the word second brigadier general translates to sar-tip dovom. Sar translates to head or commander, tip translates to brigade, and dovom translates to second. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Iranian Law Enforcement Forces (NAJA) also use this rank; the difference is in salutation. Second brigadier generals of the regular military (Artesh) are referred to as amir sar-tip dovom. While second brigadier generals of the IRGC and NAJA are referred to as sar-tip dovom e pasdar. The addition of pasdar distinguishes the three branches of the Iranian armed forces as pasdar translates to guardian, a term often given to IRGC and NAJA personnel.Saeid Golkar, The Evolution of Iran’s Police Forces and Social Control in the Islamic Republic, Middle East Brief 120 (Waltham, MA: Crown Center, 2018), 3, https://www.brandeis.edu/crown/publications/meb/MEB120.pdf

For IRGC personnel, promotion to the rank of second brigadier general, takes three years, while for the regular military (Artesh) it takes four. For this reason, a near majority of Artesh personnel retire with the rank of colonel, while in the IRGC, a large number settle at second brigadier general.