The Iranian government has launched a controversial campaign aimed at recruiting children as young as 12 to participate in the conflict against US forces, raising concerns from human rights organizations. This initiative comes amid ongoing attacks on Iran by the US and Israel following a joint strike that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has introduced a campaign named “Homeland Defending Combatants for Iran,” featuring promotional material targeting young individuals. Disturbing images have surfaced, showing children holding weapons like AK-pattern assault rifles and accompanying IRGC personnel at various locations. Amnesty International has condemned the recruitment of child soldiers as a violation of international law.
According to Erika Guevara-Rosas, a Senior Director at Amnesty International, the Iranian authorities are endangering children by involving them in military activities. Recruiting individuals under the age of 15 into the armed forces is considered a war crime.
Reports indicate that children recruited for these roles may be engaged in security operations, including checkpoint duties, intelligence gathering, patrols, as well as support tasks such as cooking and medical assistance. Iranian official Rahim Nadali mentioned that young people have shown eagerness to participate in these activities, leading to the establishment of a minimum age requirement of 12 for involvement.
Notably, past instances have highlighted the use of child soldiers by Iran, with Afghan children supporting the Assad government in Syria and Iranian child soldiers deployed during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Amnesty International estimates that over 550,000 individuals were deployed to the frontlines, resulting in at least 36,000 fatalities.
Recent images circulating on social media have raised concerns about minors participating in internal security operations, with reports of children being involved in activities beyond Iran’s borders. Allegations have surfaced regarding minors being linked to operations targeting foreign entities, such as a foiled plot involving a 15-year-old targeting the Israeli embassy in Stockholm and teenagers convicted for an attack at an Israeli defense contractor’s office in Gothenburg.
