Women and Children on the Front Lines: Iran Trains a Popular Army to Suppress Protests

Amid tightening security conditions against the backdrop of the fuel crisis and deteriorating living conditions, and fears of a new wave of protests, reports and messages received by "Iran International" indicate the organization of military training courses for government employees, regime supporters, those affiliated with state institutions, and children.

According to these reports, Tehran Municipality, led by Ali Reza Zakani, has included training for staff across the city's 22 districts in using military weapons on its agenda. For this purpose, some employees were transported by buses to parks and forests in Chitgar.

At the same time, programs are being implemented to train people in weapon use within mosques and public spaces.

Training Children in Weapon Use at Mosques and Government Programs

Reports and images published in recent weeks, following large-scale killings used to suppress recent protests, suggest an expansion of arms-related training in certain mosques and cultural centers.

Examples include the Jameh Mosque of Qaem Shahr and the Kamil Center, where training sessions for children and teenagers in weapon use have been organized as part of leisure-time programs.

At the same time, images have surfaced showing military drills during nighttime gatherings of regime supporters, including women and children appearing in these programs.

Recently, the transfer of real weapons to the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation studio and live training sessions involving firing guns on air have sparked widespread controversy.

Iranian Broadcasting Corporation vice-presidents described these actions as "symbolic and educational," but critics and human rights activists, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, have condemned military training for children, calling it a violation of child rights and akin to militia behavior.

Military Training Amid Fears of Protests

The expansion of these programs coincides with growing economic and living pressures in Iran, including concerns over rising fuel prices, which have contributed to increasing public discontent.

Security crackdown leaders, including the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' internal forces, Ahmad Reza Radan, and head of the Basij Organization, Hussein Taeb, have expressed concern in recent statements about protests stemming from the cost-of-living and fuel crises, emphasizing the need for preemptive measures.

Some political and economic observers believe that field exercises, establishing defensive wings, and publicly showcasing weapon training are indicators of the government’s focus on security preparedness for potential future protests.

In this context, moving military training into civilian institutions, mosques, and the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation has raised questions about the goals and scope of these programs.

Earlier, "Iran International" reported that the regime had used mosques and religious sites to suppress and kill protesters during the recent demonstrations in January.

During the recent large-scale protests, government forces carried out mass killings of tens of thousands of people in the streets using military weapons, and there is now also speculation that the regime may have established new programs to organize and recruit personnel specifically for killing and suppressing protesters in a potential new round of demonstrations.

"Iran International"