Lethal elite ‘black-clad’ kill squad guards Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei
Well-paid NOPO unit deployed following targeted attack that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
An elite counterterrorism unit known as NOPO—Iran’s black-clad special force—has been deployed to protect the Islamic Republic’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, following the assassination of his father in a U.S.-Israel strike last month, Fox News Digital has learned.
The force, formally known as the Counterterrorism Special Force, was assigned to safeguard the new leader after a Feb. 28 operation on a Tehran compound killed the elder Khamenei, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking the opening salvo in what the U.S. has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
“With Khamenei gone, NOPO will likely now be protecting Mojtaba Khamenei,” said Ali Safavi, an official with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
Formed in 1991, NOPO was built from the nucleus of the 28th Ruhollah Division and has historically been tasked with hostage rescue operations and internal security crackdowns, rather than direct leadership protection. However, its role has evolved, and it is now considered the most lethal unit guarding the regime’s highest authority.
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?
Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba Khamenei on March 8, 2026, elevating him as the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic amid an escalating war with the U.S. and Israel.
The new leader has remained out of the public eye since the conflict began. According to The Times of Israel, Iranian state television has reported that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the war, though the reports remain unconfirmed.
Experts have described the new Supreme Leader as “his father on steroids,” warning that his ascension signals a continuation—and potential hardening—of the regime’s hardline rule.
NOPO: A force unto itself
“NOPO is the Farsi acronym for Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, which translates into the Special Force to Protect the Supreme Leader,” Safavi explained, clarifying that “Velayat” refers to the entirety of the regime, not just the leader himself.
Over time, NOPO has evolved into a highly specialized unit distinct from the broader Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Safavi described the unit as comprising six brigades, with four stationed in Tehran, one in Mashhad, and one in Isfahan.
“They are far more lethal, ruthless and well-trained than the IRGC,” Safavi claimed, adding that the brigade’s loyalty is exclusively to the Supreme Leader. “This force was used for the protection of Khamenei. They are very well-equipped. Khamenei did not trust any other security force for his protection.”
Suppression and prison control
Beyond personal protection, the elite force has been actively involved in internal security measures amid fears of unrest following the leadership transition and ongoing war.
Safavi noted that some NOPO units are currently engaged in suppressing potential protests. “Some of the NOPO are now involved in the suppressive and security measures the regime has also undertaken in recent days to prevent any outbreak of protests anywhere,” he said.
The unit has a history of opening fire on protesters, notably during the January 2026 uprising.
Reports indicate that hundreds of NOPO members have been deployed around prisons holding political detainees, including Evin Prison in Tehran, where they took control following the flight of regular prison officials amid intensified conflict.
Following a March 3 bombing near Mahabad Prison, prisoners whose ward doors had been locked protested and set fire to blankets, demanding release under wartime conditions. “Suppressive forces responded by firing tear gas into the ward,” the NCRI reported.
In 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on NOPO for its role in committing “serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing.”
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