Iran lowers minimum age for participation in military activities to 12

An official from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the minimum age for participation in war-related support roles has been lowered to 12, Iran International reports, citing 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.