war
Iran recruits youths into Basij and deploys children at checkpoints
Iranian state outlets and NGOs say campaigns now target youths from age 12 for Basij and IRGC duties, with verified deployments of minors at checkpoints and patrols that have caused fatalities.
Apr 3rd 2026 · Iran
Insights
- State media and a Revolutionary Guards deputy announced a campaign to recruit volunteers aged 12 and over for Basij and IRGC-related roles.
- Human rights groups and eyewitnesses report minors serving on patrols and at checkpoints, sometimes armed, exposing them to frontline danger.
- Verified evidence links child deployments to deaths, including 11-year-old Alireza Jafari killed in a March drone strike at a checkpoint.
- Recruiting or using children under 15 in hostilities can constitute a war crime under international law.
- Rights groups are urging the UN and UNICEF to pressure Tehran to halt the recruitment and deployment of children.
Sources
- Iran starts recruiting children as young as 12 as war with US rages on www.hindustantimes.com
- Iran Beefs Up Defenses, Recruits Children as It Prepares for Ground War www.hindustantimes.com
- Iran Guards recruit children to ‘defend the homeland’, placing them in line of fire www.france24.com