"Powerful Ghosts" (اشباح قدرتمند) 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade (Persian: تیپ ۶۵ نیروهای ویژه هوابرد), or the NOHED Brigade (تیپ نوهد), is an airborne, special forces unit of the Iranian Army established in 1959.

In 1970, the unit was renamed the 23rd Airborne Special Forces Brigade (تیپ ۲۳ نیروهای ویژه هوابرد).

The establishment of the brigade was under supervision of American advisors from John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School.

The legacy is still evident in the brigade's green berets and qualification badge, which is nearly identical to the US Army Special Forces' De oppresso liber unit insignia.

The word NOHED (نوهد), also transliterated as NOWHED,[4] is the Persian acronym for Nīrūhāye Vīzheye Havābord (نیروهای ویژه هوابرد), meaning "Airborne Special Forces".

Some personnel of the brigade were involved in special operations under direct command of Defense Minister Mostafa Chamran, who founded the Irregular Warfare Headquarters.

[6][7] Jane's Sentinel Security Assessments reported that the 23rd Special Forces Division is amongst the most professional formations in the Iranian Army, with 5,000 personnel, all of whom are believed to be regulars.

[8][9] Jerusalem Post, citing unofficial Syrian sources, reported that as of 13 April 2016 the unit has lost 30 soldiers during operations in Syria,[10] but this is not confirmed.

In 2019, the American Defense Intelligence Agency described the 65th Airborne as the most elite unit in the Iranian Army Ground Force.

The patch of the 65th is a dagger and golden wing superimposed over a green parachute with an Achaemenid-style shield on its background and is located on the left shoulder.