The Iranian military includes two groups: the regular army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The regular army defends the country and maintains order, while the Revolutionary Guard protects the Islamic revolution and its achievements. The supreme leader appoints all top military commanders, and they report directly to him.
The president heads the Supreme National Security Council, which includes the speaker of parliament, head of judiciary, chief of the combined general staff of the armed forces, key cabinet ministers and commanders of the regular military and Revolutionary Guard. The president guides the council in executing the supreme leader's foreign policy directives.
Another element of Iran's national security is the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, about which little is publicly known. According to law, the ministry is responsible "gathering, procurement, analysis, and classification of necessary information inside and outside the country." A law also specifies that the head of the ministry be a cleric.
Source: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/middle_east/iran/structure.html
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