25th Karbala Division
25th Karbala Division was a division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It was first officially formed as the 2nd Karbala Brigade during the Iran–Iraq War, and was later expanded into a division.
History
After Operation Samen al-A’immeh in 1981, Revolutionary Guard commanders assigned Morteza Ghorbani to lead Operation Tariq al-Quds. To carry it out, the 25th Karbala Brigade and several other brigades were formed within the Guards’ Combat Organization. At first, most members of the 25th Karbala Brigade came from Isfahan Province, though troops from other regions also joined. During Operation Tariq al-Quds, there were few soldiers from Mazandaran, Gilan, and Golestan, but by Operation Fath al-Mubin, many fighters from these northern provinces had joined, including some Mazandaran commanders who served as battalion leaders. After Fath al-Mubin, the brigade prepared for the Beit ol-Moqaddas Operation later that year, with most of its forces coming from the north. The northern provinces sent about ten infantry battalions, mainly to the 37th Noor, 22nd Beit ol-Moqaddas, and 25th Karbala Brigades. Following this, commanders officially assigned the 25th Karbala Brigade’s recruitment and support to the northern provinces. By the Ramadan Operation, most of the brigade’s personnel came from Mazandaran, Gilan, and Golestan.From the Beit ol-Moqaddas Operation until the end of the Muharram Operation, Morteza Ghorbani remained in command. Later, the brigade was upgraded to the 25th Karbala Division, with Abdul Ali Omrani appointed as its first commander. Omrani was injured by a mine explosion during a reconnaissance mission before Operation Valfajr in 1983, after which Ali Akbar Yilaghi Ashrafi briefly took command. He too was wounded later that year, and Komeil Kohansal temporarily replaced him. When Omrani recovered, he resumed leadership. Before Operation Valfajr 4, Mohammad Hassan Koosechi became commander and led the division until after the Badr Operation. In June 1984, before Operation Quds 1, Morteza Ghorbani returned to Mazandaran and reassumed command of the 25th Karbala Division, leading it until the end of the Iran–Iraq War.