It is the pinnacle of the imperial honours system, limited to the sovereign and those who had performed outstanding acts of patriotism on behalf of Persia and Iran.

A military order of Imperial Persia and Iran was named after Zulfiqar, the two-pointed sword of Ali, the son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

It was founded as the Decoration of the Commander of the Faithful by Naser al-Din Shah Qajar in 1856, to commemorate the recapture of Herat.

The original Star of the Order comprised an enameled five-pointed star, with an inscription representing the Imam Ali on a red boss in the center, mounted over two crossed curved Zolfaghar swords and a sunburst of rays, as seen in the traditional Lion and Sun symbol.

The Order of Zolfaghar consists of three classes: It was revived in 2019 when Major General Qasem Soleimani received the decoration, the first time it had been awarded since 1979.