{"id":2586972,"date":"2026-04-03T16:46:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T20:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iran-begins-recruiting-children-to-the-military-and-setting-booby-traps-in-preparation-for-us-invasion-report\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T16:49:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T20:49:30","slug":"iran-begins-recruiting-children-to-the-military-and-setting-booby-traps-in-preparation-for-us-invasion-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iran-begins-recruiting-children-to-the-military-and-setting-booby-traps-in-preparation-for-us-invasion-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran Begins Recruiting Children to the Military and Setting Booby Traps in Preparation for US Invasion: Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Firan-begins-recruiting-children-to-the-military-and-setting-booby-traps-in-preparation-for-us-invasion-report%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2586972&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Wall Street Journal report says Iran is mobilizing extensive resources and launching a mass recruitment drive-described as the largest since the Iran-iraq war-that could even involve children as young as 12 under a programme nicknamed \u201cSacrifice.\u201d The article outlines plans for expanded defense using drones, tunnels, and mines around key sites like Kharg Island, and notes Iran could mobilize up to about a million people, including some 190,000 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It also mentions U.S. forces in the region and the possibility of American troops landing on Iranian soil. Analysts, including Sanam Vakil of Chatham House, warn that Iran may rely on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/killer-robots-the-future-of-warfare\/\" title=\"Killer Robots: The Future of Warfare\">drone swarms<\/a> and intensified retaliation. While Iran says children could serve in non-combat roles, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International condemn the recruitment of under-18s as a war crime and call for an immediate halt to the practice.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Iran is putting children in its armed forces and mobilizing every resource it has in case the United States launches a ground invasion, according to a new report.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >mass recruitment taking place<\/a> is the largest effort since Iran and Iraq fought a 1980s war, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/middle-east\/iran-ground-war-preparation-20181611?st=DC4Hj5&amp;reflink=desktopweb_permalink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The United States has sent thousands of troops to the Middle East who could land on any Iranian territory that President Donald Trump wishes to hold. Trump has neither said he will put troops on Iranian soil nor that he will never do so.<\/p>\n<p>The Journal cited an unnamed Iranian official as indicating that Kharg Island, Iran&rsquo;s oil export center, is being covered with mines and booby traps.<\/p>\n<p>Tunnels that would allow for the movement of Iranian troops and the heavy use of drones are also expected to factor in any Iranian defense, the Journal wrote.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Iran intends to make any U.S. landing as costly and politically unsustainable as possible,&rdquo; Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at London-based think tank Chatham House. &ldquo;I expect Iran will try to swarm and inflict pain through drones first and then widening its retaliation to its neighbors.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Iran can put about a million people in uniform, including about 190,000 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps &mdash; the core of Iran&rsquo;s armed forces.<\/p>\n<p>The Journal noted that familiarity with the terrain could offset the deficits most Iranians have in training and firepower.<\/p>\n<p>Iran is trying to expand its military with a recruiting drive dubbed &ldquo;Sacrifice&rdquo; that is seeking fighters as young as 12.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Given the enthusiastic welcome of the dear people, we decided to create an environment where all interested parties can play a role in defending the homeland based on their expertise and capabilities,&rdquo; Rahim Nadali, the Revolutionary Guard&rsquo;s deputy director for Culture and Arts, said.<\/p>\n<p>The use of child soldiers has brought condemnation upon Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Recruiting 12-year-olds as &nbsp;&ldquo;homeland defending combatants&rdquo; is a war crime, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2026\/03\/30\/iran-military-stepping-up-child-recruitment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Human Rights Watch<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There is no excuse for a military recruitment drive that targets children to sign up, much less 12-year-olds,&rdquo; &nbsp;Bill Van Esveld, associate children&rsquo;s rights director at Human Rights Watch, said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What this boils down to is that Iranian authorities are apparently willing to risk children&rsquo;s lives for some extra manpower,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>The IRGC said that children could serve in non-combat roles and could serve at checkpoints, in convoys, and as part of intelligence and operational patrols.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Iranian authorities are shamelessly encouraging children as young as 12 to join an IRGC run military campaign, putting them in grave danger and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/un-chief-complains-to-taliban-about-treatment-of-women-critics-blast-fing-idiot-they-just-laugh-in-your-face\/\" title=\"UN Chief Complains To Taliban About Treatment Of Women. Critics Blast, \u2018F***ing Idiot \u2026 They Just Laugh In Your Face\u2019\">violating international law<\/a>, which prohibits the recruitment and use of children in the military. Recruiting children under 15 into the armed forces constitutes a war crime,&rdquo; Erika Guevara-Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnestyusa.org\/press-releases\/iran-recruitment-of-child-soldiers-as-young-as-12-amounts-to-a-war-crime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amnesty International<\/a>, said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As US and Israeli strikes hit thousands of&nbsp;IRGC sites, including Basij facilities, across the country, including through drone attacks targeting security patrols and checkpoints, the&nbsp;deployment&nbsp;of&nbsp;child soldiers&nbsp;alongside IRGC personnel or in&nbsp;their&nbsp;facilities puts them at grave risk of death and injury,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Iranian authorities must&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;stop their&nbsp;criminal assault on children&rsquo;s rights and prohibit the recruitment of anyone under 18&nbsp;by the&nbsp;armed forces,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a paraphrase of the article content:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; A new report says Iran is enlisting large numbers of children into its armed forces and mobilizing extensive resources in case the United States launches a ground invasion. The mass recruitment is described as the largest effort since the Iran-Iraq war, according to The Wall Street Journal. The U.S. has sent thousands of troops to the Middle East who could be deployed to Iranian territory if ordered by President Trump, who has not publicly committed to or ruled out a landing.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The Journal cites an unnamed Iranian official suggesting Kharg Island, Iran\u2019s main oil export hub, is being mined and booby-trapped. Iran is also expected to rely on tunnels for troop movement and heavy drone use in its defense.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Sanam Vakil of Chatham House says Iran aims to make any U.S. landing as costly and politically unsustainable as possible, likely using drones first and then expanding retaliation to its neighbors.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Iran can marshal about a million people in uniform, including around 190,000 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Journal notes that familiarity with local terrain could offset Iran\u2019s training and firepower gaps. Tehran has been expanding its forces through a recruitment drive called \u201cSacrifice,\u201d which reportedly seeks fighters as young as 12.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Rahim Nadali, the IRGC\u2019s deputy director for Culture and Arts, says the authorities want to create an environment where all interested parties can defend the homeland using their skills and abilities. The recruitment of child soldiers has drawn condemnation from Human Rights Watch (HRW), which called recruiting 12-year-olds a war crime.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; HRW\u2019s Bill Van Esveld condemns recruiting children, arguing Iran risks lives for extra manpower. The IRGC says children could serve in non-combat roles at checkpoints, in convoys, or in intelligence and patrol duties. Amnesty International\u2019s Erika Guevara-Rosas decries the recruitment of anyone under 18, calling it a violation of international law and warning that it endangers children amid ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes on IRGC sites.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; In short, the report portrays Iran as intensifying its military efforts, including controversial recruitment of minors, while preparing for potential U.S. military action and broader regional retaliation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2586973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Iran-soldier.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[77110,77109,3823,50922,77111],"class_list":["post-2586972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-booby-traps","tag-child-soldiers","tag-iran","tag-military-recruitment","tag-us-invasion"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Iran-soldier.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2586972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2586972"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2586972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2586976,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2586972\/revisions\/2586976"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2586973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2586972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2586972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2586972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}