On April 4, the Wall Street Journal and other outlets reported that Iran has rolled out a “Janfada (Sacrifice)” campaign to enlist volunteers across the mainland to oppose U.S. forces.
Authorities have been urging citizens to sign up via cellphone text messages and other channels. The drive has sparked controversy because it reportedly targets minors as young as 12.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says volunteered children would be assigned to support roles — cooking, basic medical assistance — and to guard checkpoints.
International media have likened the push to the full mobilization seen during the 1980s Iran–Iraq War. DefaPress, a media outlet tied to Iran’s defense ministry, ran posters showing smiling teenagers in hijabs urging participation.
Tehran has also warned it would widen the scope of strikes to neighboring countries if the U.S. launches an attack. Iranian officials reportedly told Gulf states that any territorial incursion would prompt immediate strikes on nearby offshore oil fields, power plants and desalination facilities. The message appears aimed at maximizing the political and economic costs of U.S. military action and discouraging a ground offensive.
Military analysts warn that an escalation into a ground war could produce catastrophic casualties. Former Russian Air Force officer Gleb Irisov said the U.S. would need to deploy more than 100,000 troops to secure Iran’s coastline and the Strait of Hormuz, and that without such a force U.S. units would face unacceptable losses.
