Counter-terrorism Special Force

Not to be confused with Iranian Police Special Units.

NOPO (Persian: نوپو), officially standing for Counter-terrorism Special Force (Persian: نیروی ویژه پاد وحشت, romanized: Nīrū-yi Vizhe-yi Pād Vahshat), is an Iranian riot police force acting under Amīr al-Mu'minīn Unit of the Special Units Command, and is responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.

NOPO's duty is usually mentioned as hostage rescue, but it is argued that the unit is a riot police, as it was involved in Iran student protests, July 1999 according to a report by Supreme National Security Council, as well as the violent suppression of the 2019 protests, and the Mahsa Amini protests of 2022.

The NOPO acronym had been claimed to be an acronym for "Wilayat Guardian Special Force" (Persian: نیروی ویژه پاسدار ولایت, romanized: Nīrū-yi Vizhe-yi Pāsdār-i Vilāyat) by reformist media in late 1990s; the association was denied.

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