Iran expands civilian weapons training and student recruitment

Iran’s Janfada civilian mobilisation campaign has spread across many of the country’s 31 provinces, with weapons training at street stations and growing recruitment through schools, Al Jazeera said in its October 25 report. The campaign recruits civilians to support the state’s security forces against domestic and foreign threats.

Janfada means “those who sacrifice their life”. Authorities launched it in late March at the peak of the war with the US and Israel. It seeks male and female volunteers of all ages, with a stated focus on young people.

Street training and planned stations

The Basij, a militia within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and other state bodies offer weapons and equipment training at street booths. Campaign events and armed exercises have taken place in cities including Tehran, Isfahan and Mashhad.

A resident of northern Gilan province described regularly seeing stations in both large and smaller cities. The resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said instructors brought live ammunition and taught people to load magazines and operate pistols and assault rifles.

Basij deputy for training Ali Kowsari said in October that the Revolutionary Guard wanted at least 14 main squares in Tehran to serve as training and equipment stations. He also set a goal of “at least one to three squares” in every provincial capital. These are expansion targets; Kowsari did not give a count of cities already hosting stations.

Officials and rights groups describe different aims

Foreign-based Iranian human rights groups have characterised the armed mobilisation as “intimidation” following January’s nationwide protests. Iran’s government describes those protests as a coup attempt orchestrated by the US and Israel.