By Ray Furlong and RFE/RL's Radio Farda March 27, 2026

Iran has announced that children as young as 12 can sign up under a new program "for combatants defending the homeland," with applicants directed to mosques and "registration booths" on central squares.

The recruitment scheme was reported by multiple Iranian media outlets and announced by an official from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States, on March 26.

Rahim Nadali, IRGC deputy director for culture in Tehran, said in a TV announcement it was a response to popular demand for ways to help fighters who are "standing up to global aggression," referring to US and Israeli air strikes.

This claim could not be independently verified by RFE/RL, which is not permitted to operate in Iran.

"We launched a plan that we call For Iran, which is a registration plan for combatants defending the homeland," Nadali said. "We set the minimum age at twelve and above."

Official Iranian media reported that duties for recruits would include taking part in patrols and "checkpoint tours."

This could put children in danger. US and Israeli air strikes have hit checkpoints belonging to the Basij militia, a branch of the IRGC used for the brutal repression of dissent in Iran.

A Basij recruitment poster featured in Iranian media reports about the For Iran program showed children, who appear to be in the project's target age range, standing amid Iranian flags while burning missiles fall from the sky.

It was not clear if the recruitment drive was an effort to rally support, a response to a shortage of personnel, or a combination of these and other motives.