Rights group says 11-year-old killed 'while on duty' at Tehran checkpoint
An 11-year-old Iranian boy killed in recent fighting was at a Revolutionary Guard checkpoint in Tehran when he died, according to Iranian media and rights groups.
The child, Alireza Jafari, a fifth-grade student, was killed in what officials described as a drone attack. His name had previously appeared on casualty lists, but the Basij Teachers Organization later said he died “while on duty” at the site.
His mother told the newspaper Hamshahri that he had accompanied his father, who was serving at the checkpoint, because of a reported shortage of personnel.
Rights groups and Iranian media reporting the case say teenagers are also sometimes present at such checkpoints.
The report comes as outlets linked to Iran’s security establishment promote a volunteer campaign allowing participants as young as 12 to register for support roles linked to security operations.
