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Child killed in Tehran checkpoint strike sparks outrage
An 11-year-old boy, Alireza Jafari, died in an alleged Israeli drone strike while assisting his father at a security checkpoint in Tehran on 11 March, drawing attention to Iran's new initiative to enlist children in militia duties.
Family recounts final moments
Alireza's mother, Sadaf Monfared, told the municipality-run newspaper Hamshahri that her husband had taken their son to a Basij militia checkpoint due to a shortage of personnel. She recalled her son's words: "Mum, either we win this war or we become martyrs. God willing, we will win, but I would like to become a martyr." The newspaper reported the pair were killed in an "Israeli drone strike."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated they could not verify the claim without coordinates of the alleged strike.
IRGC launches child recruitment program
Last week, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official announced a new program, Homeland Defender Fighters for Iran, targeting volunteers aged 12 and above. Rahim Nadali of the IRGC's Greater Tehran Muhammad Rasulollah Corps said recruitment would occur at Basij-affiliated mosques and pro-establishment rallies.
The Basij, a volunteer militia under IRGC control, has an estimated one million members and is frequently deployed to suppress dissent. Israel has recently targeted Basij checkpoints, according to statements.
Eyewitnesses report armed children at checkpoints
Despite an ongoing internet outage in Iran, the BBC spoke to four eyewitnesses who described seeing children in security roles across Tehran, Karaj, and Rasht. Names were changed for safety.
- Golnaz, in her 20s from east Tehran, saw armed teenagers with Basij forces after an air strike on 9 March.
- Sara, also in her 20s from west Tehran, observed a short, slight teenager holding a gun at a checkpoint on 25 March.
- Peyman, a resident of Karaj, reported seeing a teenage boy with a Kalashnikov at a checkpoint on 30 March, noting his underdeveloped facial hair.
- Tina, from Rasht, described masked children standing alongside adult forces in a city square on 14 March, their youth apparent despite disguises.
International condemnation and legal concerns
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called the recruitment campaign a "grave violation of children's rights" and a war crime if involving children under 15. Bill Van Esveld of HRW stated, "There is no excuse for a military recruitment drive that targets children to sign up, much less 12-year-olds."
"Under international law, the use of children in security or military roles is tightly constrained and, in many contexts, unlawful."
Pegah Banihashemi, University of Chicago Law School
Banihashemi warned that deploying untrained minors could escalate violence and endanger civilians due to their limited understanding of force.
Analysts highlight regime's desperation
Holly Dagres, an Iran specialist at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told the BBC the use of children underscores the Islamic Republic's unpopularity. "It shows how deeply unpopular they are with their own population that it is struggling to recruit adults to staff security checkpoints and is resorting to using children in support roles during wartime," she said.
