Iran Launches Mass Civilian Mobilisation Amid Rising US Tensions.

Iranian authorities have launched a major civilian mobilisation campaign aimed at training and arming volunteers to support state security, amid continuing tensions with the United States and Israel.

The campaign, known as Janfada, meaning “those who sacrifice their lives,” is being organised under the Basij militia, which operates within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Thousands of men, women and children took part in the campaign’s first public military-style exercise in Tehran on Friday, September 18. Participants marched through central streets, with some carrying firearms and other military equipment.

Iranian authorities said more than 600,000 people had registered for the active mobilisation programme during the week and that they expected more than one million people to eventually participate. Officials also said about 1,000 initial units, described as battalions, had been formed.

However, the figures have faced scrutiny. Earlier in the year, Iranian authorities claimed that more than 31 million people had registered, while foreign-based activists who examined the campaign’s website said fewer than four million registrations could be verified from its source code. Iranian authorities have not provided independent documentation supporting their higher figures.

The campaign is not limited to military activities. Organisers said about 26 percent of registered volunteers selected military or security roles, while others opted for areas such as rescue services, social work, media and financial assistance.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also urged volunteers to help the country deal with its economic difficulties by reducing their consumption of fuel, electricity and other resources.

The mobilisation drive comes as Iran faces energy shortages, economic pressure and continuing fallout from the war with the US and Israel. The government recently increased fuel prices and reduced petrol quotas for private vehicles amid budget constraints and fuel-production problems.

Focus on young people

Children and teenagers featured prominently in Friday’s mobilisation exercise. Some teenagers were shown carrying assault rifles, while armed young people have also reportedly appeared at checkpoints and roadblocks in Tehran and other Iranian cities.

Sasan Zare, a spokesman for the Janfada campaign, said boys over the age of 15 had been permitted to register, while authorities were also considering the recruitment of younger children.

Women also played a prominent role in the event, with many participants carrying weapons. Some women were shown riding motorcycles, despite restrictions on women riding motorcycles in civilian life.

Rising tensions with the United States

The mobilisation campaign comes as Iran and the United States remain locked in a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz and the future of the conflict.

The United States continues to impose sanctions on Iran and maintain a naval blockade of its southern ports, while Iranian officials have warned that their military commanders are prepared to resume fighting if diplomatic efforts fail.

Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei recently said seven conditions for renewed negotiations had been communicated to Washington through intermediaries.

Iranian authorities have not clearly explained why such a large civilian mobilisation is necessary at a time when there are no apparent indications of an imminent US ground invasion.

Concerns over domestic security

The campaign also follows months of political and social unrest inside Iran. Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned against demonstrations and activities they regard as threats to national security.

A United Nations fact-finding mission has accused Iranian authorities of committing crimes against humanity during the crackdown on protests, while Amnesty International has also documented allegations concerning senior Iranian officials and the suppression of protests.

Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, told Al Jazeera that the Janfada campaign could represent an effort to rebuild the public image of the Basij militia.

He noted that the Basij originally mobilised large numbers of Iranians during the Iran-Iraq War, when volunteers joined the conflict out of religious and patriotic motivations. According to Alfoneh, the organisation later became strongly associated with domestic repression and the suppression of dissent.

He said the current campaign could therefore be intended to restore the Basij's image as a patriotic organisation while preparing for possible future internal or external security threats.

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