Iran plans to train boys under 15 in self-sacrifice campaign — Jerusalem Post
In Iran, boys under the age of 15 are planned to be offered special training to participate in the "Janfada" ("self-sacrifice") campaign. Campaign spokesperson Sasan Zare told Iran's ILNA agency that 15-year-old teenagers have already joined the training, and due to high demand, organizers are preparing programs for younger ages, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Training for boys
According to Zare, the training will be conducted only for boys. Women, he claims, will be able to join the campaign after reaching the age of 18. The campaign uses the slogan: "We have one life, and we give it for Iran." The spokesperson acknowledged that it has drawn international criticism.
The publication notes that international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, prohibits state armed forces and non-state armed groups from recruiting persons under the age of 15. At the same time, the Islamic Republic has previously acknowledged involving children aged 12 and older.
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Training in Tehran
In March, Rahim Nadali, the deputy for cultural and artistic affairs of the Mohammad Rasoulollah Corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told Defa Press that the minimum age for joining the homeland defense fighters had been set at 12. Several days after this statement, 11-year-old Alireza Jafari was killed at a military checkpoint, Iranian state media reported. The Basij Teachers Organization confirmed that the child died "while performing duties."
Military training as part of the campaign is set to begin this week in Tehran. Zare said that classes would be held at military centers and crowded squares, while Imam Hussein Square is planned to be turned into a fully equipped makeshift military camp. Participants will be taught to provide local security, prepare for war, conduct surveillance and reconnaissance, operate small drones, and may also be trained to use shoulder-launched weapons.
Zare also claims that 31 million Iranians have enrolled in the campaign, of whom 26% chose military and security tasks.
