The Zêrevanî are under the operational control of the Kurdish Ministry of the Interior[1][7] but are a part of the Peshmerga (armed forces), and provide security for government and industrial property and support to civilian police & the military.

[7] The Zêrevanî were established in 1997 by the KDP in order to support the police and Asaysh forces; according to Major General Aziz Waisi, the Zêrevanî's role over the years expanded to also protect electricity stations and water resources,[1] as well as embassies, consulates, government offices and other sensitive targets.

They need to provide an Iraqi national ID and food coupons, to be literate, to have a clean record and a recommendation in terms of moral and loyalty issues;[1] women are allowed to, and do, serve.

The Zêrevanî training is conducted primarily by the Italian Carabinieri,[14] but also by Canadian,[7] British, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish and Hungarian forces.

The Zeravani unlike the Peshmerga are equipped with modern American, Russian and French arms and weapons.