With the tensions unlikely to end in the Middle East anytime soon, Iran has decided to allow children as young as 12 years of age to participate in war-related roles, said an Iranian official on Thursday. This initiative has been named ‘For Iran’ by the Iranian officials, who have asked civilians to actively participate in patrolling and checkpoint duties.
“Given that the age of those coming forward has dropped and they are asking to take part, we lowered the minimum age to 12,” Rahim Nadali, a cultural official with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, was quoted by Iran International as saying.
It is worth noting that a similar thing had happened during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war from 1980-88 when children as young as 12 were sent by Iran for support roles. Many reports have also claimed that Iran had even sent many children for combat roles, which resulted in many casualties.ย
The raging war in the Middle East
Iran’s move to allow such young children participate in war-related roles comes amid the continued conflict in the Middle East. Both Iran, and the US-Israel alliance have refused to accept the peace proposal proposed by the other side. The US wants Iran to completely close its nuclear programme, but Iran has clearly refused to do that.
Iran, meanwhile, is now planning to toll on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. However, it has allowed five countries, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iraq, and India, for safe passage through the critical transit point from where nearly 20 per cent of the global crude passes on.ย
Amid this, Israel has killed IRGC Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri, who was responsible for the closure of the Strait. “This is a clear message to all senior officials of the Iranian IRGC terror organization currently ruling Iran: The IDF will hunt and eliminate you one by one,” Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said.ย
Despite this, Iran has hardened its position and continued to target Israel, and US bases in the region. The US, on the other hand, has maintained that negotiations are ongoing.
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