Unit 190

Unit 190 is a specialized division within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, primarily responsible for the clandestine transfer and smuggling of weapons to organizations, groups, and states allied with Iran. The unit operated under the leadership of Behnam Shahriyari, also known by the aliases Hamid Reza and Seyed Ali Akbar Mir Vakili. It is estimated to have approximately 20 members, who engage in sophisticated covert operations to ensure the uninterrupted flow of arms to Iran’s regional proxies and allies.{{Cite web |title=Unit 190-Weapons Transfer Unit |url=https://www.vsquds.info/%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA/weapons-transfer/unit-190-weapons-transfer-unit |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=www.vsquds.info |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Weapons Transfer |url=https://www.vsquds.info/%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA/weapons-transfer |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=www.vsquds.info |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2018-08-18 |title=Iran's Unit 190: The Special force smuggling weapons by land sea and air |url=https://www.ifmat.org/08/18/irans-unit-190-the-special-force-smuggling-weapons-by-land-sea-and-air/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=IFMAT |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Counter Terrorism Designation Update; Iran-related Designation Update |url=https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20230815 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=OFAC |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-11-11 |title=Iran's Unit 190: The special force smuggling weapons by land, sea and air |url=https://raseef22.net/english/article/1067968-irans-unit-190-special-force-smuggling-weapons-land-sea-air |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=Raseef22 |language=en}}

Key activities and methods

= Weapons smuggling =

Unit 190 has been instrumental in transferring tens of thousands of tons of weapons to various groups, including:

Hezbollah in Lebanon.{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Unit 190 of IRGC |url=https://www.ifmat.org/08/22/unit-190-of-irgc/ |website=ifmat.}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-12 |title=Iran/Israel : Western intelligence keeping close watch on Iran's Revolutionary Guard units 340 and 190 - 15/11/2023 |url=https://www.intelligenceonline.com/government-intelligence/2023/11/15/western-intelligence-keeping-close-watch-on-iran-s-revolutionary-guard-units-340-and-190,110087877-art |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Intelligence Online |language=en}}
The Assad regime in Syria
Palestinian militant organizations in Gaza.
Houthi rebels in Yemen

== Covert operations ==

The unit employs multiple methods to disguise weapons shipments, including:

Concealing weapons as ordinary commercial goods.
Using shell companies and civilian infrastructure to cover up logistics.
Falsifying registration documents and employing third-party entities.

= Transportation routes =

Unit 190 operates a sophisticated logistics network that spans multiple regions. Key transportation routes include:{{Cite web |last=al-Omran |first=Faris |title=Iran-backed militias undermine Iraq's reputation, stability with smuggling operations |url=https://almashareq.com/en_GB/articles/cnmi_am/features/2023/06/28/feature-03 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Al-Mashareq |language=en-GB}}

Iran to Syria: Utilizing both passenger and military flights over Iraq.
Iran to Lebanon: Transporting arms via passenger and cargo flights over Turkey.
Iran to Sudan: Using civilian ships for weapons shipments destined for Gaza.
Overland routes: Employing trucks and trains through Turkey into Syria.

= Collaboration with other units =

Unit 190 works in coordination with other specialized divisions within the Quds Force, including:

Unit 340: Focused on weapons research, development, and the training of operatives.
Division 8000: Involved in joint military operations and strategic coordination.

International response and sanctions

The activities of Unit 190 have been identified as a significant factor contributing to regional instability. As a result, international actors, including the United States and United Kingdom, have imposed sanctions targeting individuals and entities associated with the unit. These measures aim to disrupt its operations and limit its ability to support Iran's military and political allies.

Despite these sanctions and restrictions, Unit 190 continues to adapt, employing increasingly sophisticated methods to circumvent international monitoring and enforcement efforts. The unit plays a pivotal role in Iran’s broader strategy of regional influence and power projection, leveraging covert arms transfers to strengthen proxy forces across the Middle East and beyond.

Legal and diplomatic implications

Unit 190's activities directly violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit Iran from exporting weapons. The continued operations of the unit have raised geopolitical concerns, particularly among nations that oppose Iran’s influence in regional conflicts.

2020 Beirut explosion

Shahriyari has been linked to the transfer of ammonium nitrate that led to the Beirut Port explosion in August 2020. Reports indicate that since 2011, the Iranian shipping company Liner Transport Kish (LTK), managed by Shahriyari and Mojtaba Mousavi Tabar, delivered significant quantities of ammonium nitrate to Hezbollah. Between 2011 and 2014, multiple shipments were sent to Beirut, including a consignment transported aboard the MV Rhosus vessel in August 2013, carrying approximately 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate. This shipment was seized and stored in the port, where it remained until its detonation in 2020, causing widespread casualties and destruction.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-11 |title="شهريار الفيلق" - أحمد الأيوبي |url=https://www.nidaalwatan.com/article/306711-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%82 |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=نداء الوطن |language=en}}