Iran using children in security roles in war: Report

Iran using children in security roles in war: Report

The death of an 11-year-old boy, Alireza Jafari, has sparked controversy over Iran's alleged recruitment of minors into security roles.

Alireza was killed in an airstrike while manning a security checkpoint with his father in Tehran on March 11, the BBC reported.

His mother, Sadaf Monfared, told the municipality-run newspaper Hamshahri they were helping Basij volunteer militia patrols at the time.

IRGC to recruit volunteers aged 12 and above

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced plans to recruit volunteers aged 12 and above.

The new program, called Homeland Defender Fighters for Iran, will assign children to various duties such as patrols and checkpoints.

Recruitment could take place at mosques linked to the Basij militia in Tehran and city squares where pro-establishment rallies are held.

Recruitment campaign condemned by Human Rights Watch

Eyewitnesses in Tehran, Karaj, and Rasht have reported seeing children in security roles.

One witness, Golnaz from East Tehran, reportedly said she saw armed teenagers in Basiji forces after an airstrike on March 9.

Sara from West Tehran was quoted as saying that she had seen a teenager at a checkpoint on March 25.

Human Rights Watch has condemned this recruitment campaign as a grave violation of children's rights and a war crime when the children are under 15.

Experts weigh in on implications of child recruitment

Pegah Banihashemi, a constitutional law and human rights expert at the University of Chicago Law School, stated that deploying children in security roles introduces broader risks to society.

Holly Dagres from The Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank argued that using children at security checkpoints shows the Islamic Republic's desperation. She added that this highlights their unpopularity with their own population.