The genocidal Iranian regime is training an increasing number of child soldiers this year. The question is whether this phenomenon comes just because the regime is so obsessed with terrorism (as is the case for child soldiers in Gaza), or because the regime is really running out of soldiers and desperate for anyone who will hold a gun?
Let me state right off the bat that Iran has had child soldiers for a long time. While there are more reports than usual of child soldiers, this could just be increasing scrutiny of a long-standing problem. It is always difficult to tell with reports about a country so tightly controlled by a tyrannical jihad regime. Already in March, the U.S.-Israeli operation had killed at least one 11-year-old Iranian soldier, and Human Rights Activists had a report in 2024 on Iranian child soldiers. So again, the real question is whether Iran is increasingly drafting child soldiers because it doesn’t have enough adults or whether we should simply be criticizing the regime for its typical practice of radicalizing children.
The regime did officially lower the age for recruits this year, dipping it below 15, which is considered the bare minimum under international regulations. Unfortunately, the United Nations and many Western governments are too busy griping about Israel and America to spend much time covering Iranian war crimes. In fact, Iranian representatives chair or hold positions on multiple human rights councils at the UN.
An official from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the minimum age for participation in war-related support roles has been lowered to 12, according to remarks aired on state media. Rahim Nadali, a cultural official with the Guards in Tehran, said an initiative called “For Iran” was recruiting participants to assist with activities such as patrols, checkpoints and logistics. “Given that the age of those coming forward has dropped and they are asking to take part, we lowered the minimum age to 12,” he said, adding that 12- and 13-year-olds could now take part if they wished. The comments were broadcast as part of state coverage of the war effort. The move comes despite Iran’s commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the use of children in military activities. https://t.co/3PQf1CCBqt
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) March 26, 2026
Stars and Stripes highlighted the lowered recruitment age and the increased youth recruitment in April. Not long before that, there were mass desertions of Iranian troops, so there was definitely a need for any new recruits. Much more recently, earlier this month, C14 News pointed out that Iran's proxies, the Houthis, are recruiting even younger. Palestinian proxies of Iran also habitually radicalize very young children.
🚨🇾🇪 Despite signing a UN action plan pledging to end the practice, the Iran-backed Houthis have been caught circulating new video footage proudly showcasing armed minors and child soldiers on the front lines in Yemen. https://t.co/t4WSDBkOXO
— C14 News | EN (@c14english) September 15, 2026
The Houthis have successfully terrorized multiple nations recently, but they do need backing from Iran to continue fighting indefinitely. And it appears that both the Iranian regime and the Houthis are feeling the manpower pinch.
Importantly, jihad is the highest calling and goal of the Islamic religion. It is a shortcut to paradise. This is partly why so many terrorist groups and Muslim countries have child soldiers, because the jihadis really believe that by recruiting their children into the movement, they are serving Allah.
To answer the question at the beginning of this article, I think there is a combination of circumstances. Yes, the Iranian regime did lose a lot of its troops, both in strikes and by desertions. So they did need to recruit younger kids. On the other hand, the Iranian regime and its proxies have always believed in recruiting children for the cause of jihad.
