Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is currently engaging in a concerted effort to enlist children as young as 12 to serve as “homeland defending combatants,” according to a report by Human Rights Watch. The recruitment and use of children in military activities violates international children’s rights laws and constitutes a war crime when children under the age of 15 are involved.
An official from the IRGC’s 27th Mohammad Rasulullah Division in Tehran announced on March 26, 2026, that a campaign called “Homeland Defending Combatants for Iran” had set the minimum age for volunteers at 12. With the ongoing attacks by the United States and Israel in Iran, children at military sites are exposed to significant risks of harm. Human Rights Watch is calling on Iranian authorities to halt the recruitment campaign and bar all military and paramilitary forces in the country from enlisting children under the age of 18.
Bill Van Esveld, associate director of children’s rights at Human Rights Watch, criticized the recruitment targeting children, stating that the authorities are jeopardizing children’s lives for additional manpower.
The campaign seeks to attract civilians for various tasks, including cooking, medical care, distributing items, addressing damaged properties, and security-related activities such as manning checkpoints, patrols, and convoys, as reported by an IRGC official. Applications can be submitted at Basij bases housed in mosques in Tehran.
Recent airstrikes by the United States and Israel have targeted multiple Basij and IRGC facilities and checkpoints in Tehran, resulting in casualties. Human Rights Watch condemned these attacks and stressed the need for investigations into potential war crimes.
Iran has a history of enlisting children under 18 in the Basij force, and previously utilized Afghan immigrant children as soldiers to support the Assad regime in Syria. The United Nations has expressed concern over the exposure of children to violence in conflict zones. While Iran’s laws permit the military recruitment of 15-year-olds, international conventions prohibit the recruitment of children under 15 for combat roles.
Officials involved in the recruitment of children are facing criticism for endangering minors and may be held accountable for their actions. Failure to address this issue could have serious consequences for the welfare of children in Iran.
