During the late 1970s the Imperial Iranian Ground Force, was undergoing a rapid increase in strength. In 1979 it was a largely mechanized and armored force of about 285,000 troops, organized in 3 corps, with headquarters in Tehran area, in Shiraz in the south, and in Kermanshah near the Iraq border. There was even Plans for a fourth corps, to be established at the new Chah Bahar complex at the eastern end of the Persian Gulf. Major ground formations included 3 armored divisions (One more in organization in Sistan) each with six tank battalions and five mechanized infantry battalions, 3 infantry divisions, 2 Imperial Guard Divisions and 4 independent brigades (1 armored, 1 infantry, 1 airborne and 1 Special Forces) and the Army Aviation Command. These combat units, backed up by the usual complement of support units, were said to be 85 percent operational. During the mid-1970s fully 80 percent of Irans ground forces were deployed along the Iraqi border, though official sources maintained that a large portion of these could be sent anywhere in the country within twenty-four hours by means of air force transports. Troop deployment was expected to shift south during the late 1970s with the opening of the Chah Bahar facility.

Nearly 80 percent of Iran's ground forces were deployed along the Iraqi border, although official sources maintained that the military was capable of rapid redeployment. Although air force transports were used extensively, redeployment was slow after the start of the war. The Mashhad division headquarters, in the eastern part of the country, was one of the important unites, because of Soviet military and Afghanistans border.