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Gen Hossein Yekta of the Basij forces called on Iranian parents to send their children for military duties. This comes amid reports that minors as young as 12 have been deployed at Basij checkpoints, which have been targeted in strikes.
Iran general urges parents to send children to man checkpoints at night. (Reuters)
UPDATED: Apr 7, 2026 12:57 IST
A senior Iranian military commander has called on parents to send their children to staff security checkpoints, the latest instance of minors being used in frontline roles in the ongoing Iran war.
Gen Hossein Yekta, linked to the Basij volunteer militia under Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), made the remarks on state television, reported Associated Press.
"Moms, dads, take your kids’ hands and go out on streets," he said. “Do you want your kid to become a real man? Let him feel like a hero standing right at the heart of the battlefield. Moms, dads, at night send your kids to man checkpoints. They become men!”
The remarks come amid reports that Iranian children as young as 12 have been deployed at Basij checkpoints, some of which have been targeted in airstrikes. Last month, an 11-year-old was reportedly killed while manning a checkpoint in Tehran.
- Ends
Published By:
Devika Bhattacharya
Published On:
Apr 7, 2026 12:56 IST
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