News Center – Involving children in security tasks inside Iran is a flagrant violation of international standards for child protection. These developments come at a time when security risks are escalating, doubling concerns about exposing children to high-risk roles incompatible with their age or basic rights.

The killing of an 11-year-old child in Iran while at a checkpoint has sparked a new wave of concern regarding reports of children being involved in security tasks associated with checkpoints. According to the Basij mobilization force, student Alireza Jafari was killed in a drone attack targeting a checkpoint on the Army Highway in Tehran.

The child's mother stated that her son had accompanied his father to the site due to a shortage of personnel at the checkpoint, noting the presence of teenagers aged 15–16 at the same checkpoints.

The incident coincided with reports of volunteer calls issued by the Revolutionary Guards in Greater Tehran, stipulating that applicants be no younger than 12 years old, involving security, operational, and support tasks, raising fears of potentially involving minors in high-risk activities.

Human rights activists had previously published reports related to child recruitment or their use in structures linked to Iranian military institutions. Meanwhile, international organizations, including Amnesty International, affirm that involving children in military activities constitutes a violation of international obligations, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In response, Iranian officials deny the existence of systematic child recruitment and assert that some participation is "voluntary," without providing explanations regarding recent cases.

The child's death and reports of minors at checkpoints have once again highlighted the risks children face in contexts of tension and conflict, and the profound psychological and social impacts these incidents leave on families and society.