Unit 400


Unit 400 is a covert special operations unit within Iran’s Quds Force, specializing in terrorist attacks, assassinations, kidnappings, and sabotage. Established around 2012, it operates under the direct oversight of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It has been designated by the U.S. as a terrorist entity due to its global activities.

Leadership and structure

Organizational context

Unit 400 operates as a covert special operations unit within Iran’s Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Its structure and role are embedded within a broader network of other IRGC-Quds Force units, each specializing in distinct geographic or operational domains.

Key figures

Hamid Abdullahi

is a senior commander in Iran’s Quds Force, leading Unit 400, a covert special operations unit responsible for global terrorist activities. Designated by the U.S. in 2012 for supporting terrorism, he has overseen high-profile plots and asymmetric warfare operations.

Majid Alavi

Majid Alavi is a senior Iranian military-intelligence figure with a history of leadership roles in the Quds Force and involvement in covert operations. He is a former deputy Iranian intelligence minister, that commanded the unit and was linked to plots like the 2012 Bangkok assassination attempt targeting Israeli diplomats.

Modus operandi and global reach

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, specifically Unit 400 of the Quds Force, has been recruiting Afghan nationals for suicide missions targeting Israelis, collaborating with Al-Qaeda in these efforts. Key figures in this recruitment include Hossein Rahmani, Hossein Rahban, Hamed Abdollahi, and Alireza Tajik, the latter implicated in a 2022 assassination attempt on Israeli-Georgian businessman Itsik Moshe in Tbilisi. Similar plots have been foiled in Azerbaijan, Cyprus, and Greece, indicating a broader strategy by Iran to employ Afghan and Pakistani operatives against Israeli targets. This collaboration underscores a convergence of interests among Iran, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban, transcending ideological differences to focus on actions against Israel.

Activities

  • Supplies weapons, training, and funding to groups like Hezbollah, Iraqi Shiite militants, and Afghan insurgents.
  • Orchestrated plots such as the 2012 Bangkok assassination attempt and the failed 2011. Saudi ambassador assassination in Washington, D.C., where the FBI infiltrated the operation.
  • Maintains sleeping cells in Africa and recruits operatives in Central Asia and the Caucasus.
  • Foreign infrastructure: Utilizes Tajik, Chechen, and Kyrgyz operatives under business or diplomatic covers. Notable handlers include Muhamad Mirzoshoev and Oleg Doev.

    Relations with Al Qaeda

Iran and al-Qaeda have maintained a complex and covert relationship since the early 1990s. Initially, this involved training al-Qaeda operatives in Iran and Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Iran provided refuge to fleeing al-Qaeda members, including senior leaders and their families. Notably, Saif al-Adel, a high-ranking al-Qaeda figure indicted for the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa, has been based in Iran under the protection of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This arrangement underscores a pragmatic alliance that transcends ideological differences, allowing al-Qaeda to operate within Iranian territory. Furthermore, recent reports indicate that Iran's IRGC, particularly Unit 400 of the Quds Force, has collaborated with al-Qaeda to recruit Afghan nationals for suicide missions targeting Israelis. This ongoing cooperation highlights a convergence of interests, with Iran leveraging al-Qaeda's capabilities to advance its strategic objectives against common adversaries.

Notable incidents

  • 2012 Bangkok plot: Linked to Majid Alavi and Hamed Abdollahi, this operation aimed to assassinate Israeli diplomats.
  • 2011 alleged Iran assassination plot: Involving Mansour Arbabsiar, an Iranian-American who attempted to hire a Mexican drug cartel to carry out the attack against Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir in Washington, D.C..

    Strategic role

Unit 400 exemplifies Iran’s strategy to project power through proxy networks and covert operations, often escalating tensions with Western adversaries. Its activities are tightly controlled by Iran’s leadership, reflecting the regime’s commitment to asymmetric warfare.