War crime accusations target Iran over child recruitment

1st April 2026

2 minutes read

War crime accusations target Iran over child recruitment

International human rights criticism is mounting against Iran over allegations of “child recruitment” in security- and military-related activities, practices that observers say may amount to a “war crime.”

Human rights organizations have warned that Iran is reportedly recruiting children as young as 12 for roles linked to the military, in what has been described as a desperate attempt to mobilize the population to support the war effort, according to the British newspaper The Independent.

The newspaper cited statements by Rahim Nadali, deputy director of culture and arts within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, published by Iran’s official defense news agency, in which he called on the general public to volunteer to “defend the homeland.”

Nadali said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would provide opportunities for Iranians to “participate” in the conflict. He added that volunteers aged 12 and above could be considered for roles in operations and security, support and logistics, services and supplies, as well as health and medical care.

Human Rights Watch: “war crime”

The U.S.-based human rights organization Human Rights Watch stated that the recruitment and use of children by the military constitute a violation of children’s rights and a war crime when the children are under 15 years old.

Bill Van Esveld, associate children’s rights director at the organization, said: “There is no justification for a military recruitment campaign that targets children, especially those as young as twelve.”

He added: “In short, Iranian authorities appear willing to risk children’s lives for some additional manpower.”

Nadali had stated in a televised interview on March 26: “Given the ages that requested this, we set the minimum age at twelve… This means there are now twelve- and thirteen-year-old children who wish to be present in this field.”

He said members of the public could assist in intelligence patrols, inspection operations, and operational patrols. Opportunities were also reportedly offered for medical staff, food preparation, and the distribution of supplies to soldiers.

The BBC reported, citing eyewitnesses, that children — some of them armed — were seen performing security duties in Tehran and other cities, despite Iran’s commitment to customary international law criminalizing the recruitment of children under fifteen.

Meanwhile, the human rights group Hengaw Organization for Human Rights described the initiative as a “systematic crime against children.” Hengaw had reported days earlier the death of 11-year-old Ali Reza Jafari following a drone strike “while he was performing his duty” at a checkpoint in Tehran, according to the teachers’ organization of the Basij.

The child’s mother told the state newspaper Hamshahri that his father had taken him to the checkpoint due to a “shortage of personnel.”