Accusations against Iran of recruiting children in anticipation of a return to war
Videos circulating on social media reportedly show, according to the opposition, Iranian military and security officials handing weapons to children during pro-regime gatherings.
International human rights organizations and reports from the Iranian opposition accuse authorities in Tehran of expanding the recruitment of minors as the truce with the United States nears its end and amid reports of difficulties in reaching an agreement in Pakistan. These allegations include assigning security-related tasks that could place children at the center of operations. Tehran, for its part, denies the existence of any official policy of child recruitment and maintains that mobilization is voluntary.
According to the outlet “Iran International,” videos shared on social media allegedly show Iranian military and security officials handing weapons to children during pro-regime gatherings.
The opposition website also notes that previous cases of children being recruited for military-type duties, including at checkpoints, had already been documented.
International human rights organizations had earlier, particularly during the war, reported field data and documented testimonies indicating an expansion in the recruitment of minors in Iran.
Human Rights Watch reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had, prior to the truce, conducted mobilization campaigns that included children, some reportedly as young as 12, under slogans linked to “defending the homeland” and national mobilization.
For its part, Amnesty International indicated that it possesses visual material and field testimonies documenting the involvement of minors in military or paramilitary activities, including carrying weapons, manning checkpoints, and participating in field patrols.
The organization stated that the involvement of children under the age of fifteen in such roles could, if confirmed, amount to serious violations that may be classified as war crimes under international law.
The reports clarify that the roles assigned to minors are not limited to direct combat but extend to logistical support tasks such as transporting supplies, providing first aid services, assisting within military or security sites, and accompanying armed personnel in certain facilities. Organizations nevertheless warn that the presence of children in such environments exposes them directly to the dangers of combat operations, even without active participation in fighting.
In their analysis, these reports link the expansion of recruitment practices to increasing military pressure on Iran, suggesting that authorities may resort to broader mobilization to compensate for manpower shortages and strengthen internal security deployment, to the detriment of minors.
In response, Tehran denies any official policy of child recruitment and asserts that what is described falls within the framework of popular mobilization through the Basij, emphasizing that participation is voluntary and not necessarily combat-related. The issue thus remains the subject of intense debate between human rights allegations and the official Iranian position.
Cases of child recruitment are, however, not unprecedented among Iran’s regional allies, such as the Houthi movement, which have resorted to recruiting minors during their conflicts.
