Iran Guards recruiting children as young as 12, putting them on front lines of war

Iran is ramping up nan recruitment of children arsenic young arsenic nan property of 12 into military-linked roles tied to nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to caller reports by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

The reports underscore mounting unit wrong Iran’s warfare effort. As U.S. and Israeli strikes intensify, authorities groups and analysts opportunity recruiting children points to manpower shortages and a increasing reliance connected paramilitary forces to clasp nan location front. It besides escalates nan quality costs of nan conflict, placing minors successful nonstop threat while exposing Iran to imaginable warfare crimes liability. 

Human Rights Watch said nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched a run called "Homeland Defending Combatants for Iran," lowering nan minimum recruitment property to 12 and encouraging minors to motion up successful mosques and done Basij, a unpaid paramilitary unit nether nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

The roles spell beyond support tasks and see "operational patrols," staffing checkpoints and intelligence activities, putting children straight successful harm’s measurement arsenic fighting intensifies crossed nan country.

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Members of nan Iranian revolutionary defender march during a parade. The IRGC is designated arsenic a overseas violent statement by nan State Department. A ample portion of its activity is to covertly run extracurricular of Iran. (Reuters)

Amnesty International said nan recruitment and deployment of children nether 15 "constitutes a warfare crime," and backed its findings pinch verified ocular grounds and eyewitness accounts.

The statement analyzed 16 photos and videos published since Saturday, showing children carrying weapons, including AK-pattern rifles, and deployed alongside Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij forces astatine checkpoints, connected patrols and during state-organized rallies successful Iranian cities including Tehran, Mashhad and Kermanshah.

Amnesty besides documented nan fatal consequences. On Sunday, 11-year-old Alireza Jafari was killed astatine a checkpoint successful Iran while accompanying his father, a Basij member, nan group said. Authorities said he was killed "while serving" pursuing an Israeli drone strike.

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Iranian soldiers return portion successful a subject parade during a ceremonial marking nan country's yearly service time connected April 17, 2024, successful Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images)

According to Amnesty, nan boy’s mother told nan Iranian newspaper Hamshahri that her hubby had reported a shortage of unit astatine checkpoints and took their 2 sons pinch him. She said he told their boy he "must get prepared for nan days ahead," adding that children arsenic young arsenic 15 and 16 are commonly progressive successful checkpoint duties.

Eyewitness accounts reviewed by Amnesty picture children visibly struggling to grip weapons. One personification successful Tehran wrote:

On March 25, "I saw a kid astatine a checkpoint adjacent our location … I deliberation he was astir 15… It seemed for illustration he was struggling to respire from nan effort of lifting nan gun."

Another witnesser successful Karaj, Iran, reported seeing a kid "holding a Kalashnikov rifle," while a 3rd successful Rasht said immoderate appeared to beryllium "13 years aged astatine most," informing they could "fire randomly."

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Children activity Iranian flags during a ceremonial celebrating nan 40th day of nan Islamic Revolution, astatine nan Azadi, Freedom, Square successful Tehran, Iran, Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. 

In 1 video cited by Amnesty, filmed March 30 successful Mashhad, Iran, 2 children wearing Basij uniforms and balaclavas were seen carrying battle rifles while positioned connected a moving conveyance during a state-organized rally, elevated supra a cheering crowd.

The recruitment run itself has been promoted done charismatic channels, including posters depicting children alongside equipped adults nether nan motto "Basij pinch people, for people," accompanied by a quote attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader calling for Basij forces to stay cardinal to nan revolution.

Iranian officials person defended nan argumentation by pointing to what they picture arsenic beardown request among teenagers.

In a televised question and reply pinch Iranian authorities media, IRGC charismatic Rahim Nadali said nan minimum property was group astatine 12 because "teenagers and nan younker many times person travel and said that they want to return part." 

"There is nary excuse for a subject recruitment thrust that targets children to motion up, overmuch little 12-year-olds," Human Rights Watch’s Bill Van Esveld said.

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Iranian schoolboys deterioration Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) subject uniforms and outcry anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli slogans during a ceremonial marking nan 47th day of nan triumph of Iran's Islamic Revolution astatine nan shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini successful nan Behesht-e Zahra cemetery successful confederate Tehran, Iran, connected Feb. 1, 2026 (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The reports travel arsenic nan United Nations classifies nan recruitment of children successful equipped conflict arsenic a "grave violation," pinch world rule prohibiting nan enlistment of children nether 15 and mounting 18 arsenic nan modular for information successful hostilities.