Iran Launches Recruitment Push for Child Soldiers
23rd September 2026
Iran has launched a military recruitment effort targeting boys as young as 12, offering military training that reportedly includes drones, surveillance, and weapons as the Islamic Republic seeks to bolster its security forces.
The New York Post reported that the new recruitment drive is part of Iran’s “janfada,” or “self-sacrifice,” campaign, which carries the slogan, “We have one life, and we give it for Iran.”
Campaign spokesman Sasan Zare said Iranians 15 and older have already begun military training, but younger children have also expressed interest in participating.
