Iranian law prohibits the recruitment of those under 16, basing itself on the
Koranic traditions about war. However, the state broke those rules by the middle of the
Iran-Iraq War. However, as nationalism and anger to the Iraqi invasion spread, some children (along with old men) volunteered for the
Basij militia, often from areas destroyed by the Iraqi invasion. All were volunteers, oftentimes more passionate about their cause than their adult counterparts, and were mostly over 13 years of age. In 1984,
Iranian President Ali-Akbar Rafsanjani said, "all Iranians from 12 to 72 should volunteer for the Holy War."
[32] Some child soldiers even wore keys around their necks to signify their coming entrance into
heaven.
Ettelaat, an Iranian daily, reported, "Before entering the minefields, the children wrap themselves in blankets and they roll on the ground, so that their body parts stay together after the explosion of the mines and one can carry them to the graves."
[33] However, most (but not all) of those stories were really myths, propaganda, or embellished stories, and the child soldiers simply fought alongside their adult counterparts, often in Basij RPG or mine clearing teams. A small number of schoolchildren currently serve in the ranks of the
Basij, an Iranian
paramilitary force, according to CSUCS, generally above the age of 16. They have reported that the state conscripts for the regular army at age 19-