Iran Recruits Boys as Young as 12 for 'Self-Sacrifice' Military Brigades
The new recruitment drive, overseen by the Basij volunteer militia, includes training in drone piloting and firing shoulder-mounted weapons.
Iran has initiated a new military recruitment campaign targeting boys as young as 12 for its "self-sacrifice" brigades, according to reports. Sasan Zare, a spokesperson for the campaign, stated that individuals aged 15 and older have already commenced military training. Due to high demand, specialized training programs for younger recruits are also being developed.
The training, set to begin this week as part of Iran's Janfada, or self-sacrifice, campaign, operates under the slogan "We have one life, and we give it for Iran." The curriculum is designed to cover local security, general war preparations, observation, surveillance, and intelligence measures. Participants will also learn to pilot drones and operate shoulder-mounted weapons.
This initiative is reportedly under the supervision of the Basij, Iran's volunteer paramilitary force, which was involved in the crackdown on protesters earlier this year. Zare claimed that 31 million Iranians have enlisted in the campaign, representing approximately one-third of the country's population, with 26% of these enrollees purportedly signing up for military and security roles.
It remains unclear whether the children will be automatically integrated into Iran's security forces upon completion of the training. International humanitarian law prohibits the recruitment of individuals under 15 into armed forces, yet Iran has faced accusations of utilizing child soldiers in its military.
In March, Rahim Nadali, a deputy of the IRGC Mohammad Rasoul Allah Corps of Greater Tehran, announced that children as young as 12 could volunteer for interior security forces. Since then, reports have surfaced of child soldiers being deployed at IRGC checkpoints and patrols, armed with automatic weapons, according to Amnesty International. The case of 11-year-old Alireza Jafari, who died while reportedly "serving" at a checkpoint, was cited, with his mother stating that his father took his sons, including a nine-year-old, to the post due to a "shortage of personnel."