Iran Starts Using Children Aged 12 and Up for Auxiliary Military Service

Iranian security forces have started recruiting children as young as 12 to guard checkpoints and perform other auxiliary duties in the capital, Tehran.

Al Arabiya reported this, citing a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on state television.

Residents of Tehran told AFP that armed youths have been seen in the city since the start of the war with the United States and Israel.

“Heavily armed military pickup trucks are blocking roads and checking cars. You pass them, and 100 meters away, you see several cars with teenagers carrying Uzis (submachine guns) stopping traffic again,” said a resident named Kaveh.

Another Tehran resident said that at night, regime supporters “drive around in cars with loudspeakers, hand out flags and organize loud marches through the streets, shouting slogans.”

According to the report, Iranian authorities have launched a recruitment campaign called “For Iran,” allowing individuals aged 12 and older to register to assist the IRGC and the Basij militia in their fight against what they call the “global aggressor” — the United States.

The report said volunteers would be tasked with “collecting security information and conducting patrols,” as well as organizing nighttime convoys in the city.

Under international law, the recruitment or use of children under the age of 15 for active participation in hostilities is considered a war crime.

Iran has not signed or ratified the Rome Statute, which underpins the International Criminal Court, meaning investigations of alleged crimes on its territory would require a separate decision by the UN Security Council.