An Insight into Iran’s Recruitment Tactics& Use of Child Soldiers

Iran has a well-documented history of allegations regarding the use of child soldiers, a practice
dating back to the Iran-Iraq War in 1980 and persisting thereafter. According to the International
Committee of the Red Cross, a significant portion, approximately 10%, of Iranian prisoners in Iraq
were minors.1 During the Iran-Iraq conflict, children as young as nine were coerced into assisting
in mine-clearing efforts, frequently restrained together by ropes to prevent escape.