Iran trains women in firearms and guerrilla tactics amid regional tensions
Iran held its first military training course specifically for women at Imam Hussein Square in Tehran on Sunday, where scores of participants learnt to handle assault rifles, carry out first aid and execute guerrilla tactics. The course was part of the regime's "Jan Fada" or "sacrificing life" campaign, occurring amid escalating Middle East tensions and Iran's threats to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed unless US demands are met. The training reflects the government's broader effort to mobilise citizens for potential conflict and organise 1,000 volunteer resistance battalions.
Women participating, many wearing traditional chadors, received instruction in military skills, survival techniques and preparedness for harsh conditions during Iran's Sacred Defense Week. This development follows earlier initiatives in May when civilians of all ages were taught to operate AK-47 rifles at public gatherings in central Tehran, and an April controversy where Iran's embassy in London faced censure for encouraging citizens to join a "martyrdom" programme through social media posts deemed inflammatory by the UK Foreign Office.
- Iran held first military training course for women in Tehran
- Part of regime's mobilisation campaign amid Middle East tensions
- Follows diplomatic row over embassy "martyrdom" programme recruitment
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Iran has been training its civilian population, including women, in military skills over recent months. The government programme, called "Jan Fada" (meaning "sacrificing life"), includes instruction in firearms handling, first aid, and survival techniques. This represents a significant mobilisation of Iran's civilian population.
The training is occurring amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States over regional power and control of key shipping routes. Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important waterways for oil trade, and has made demands regarding US military presence. The civilian training is part of Iran's broader effort to prepare its population for a potential conflict scenario.
The inclusion of women in military training at this scale represents a notable development in Iran's approach to civilian defence. The extensive training indicates that Iran's government views the current regional situation as requiring substantial mobilisation of its civilian population. This level of civilian military preparation marks a significant shift in Iran's public defence strategy.
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The case for
Iran faces genuine security threats in a volatile region where multiple external actors possess advanced militaries and where the US has previously conducted military interventions. Providing civilian self-defense training, including for women, reflects rational preparation for national defence and represents an assertion of legitimate sovereignty; many established democracies maintain civilian defence programmes, and women's equal participation in military training embodies their right to contribute to national security.
The case against
The specific rhetoric of "sacrificing life" and "martyrdom," combined with training in guerrilla tactics and Iran's concurrent threats to close vital international shipping lanes, suggests preparation for escalatory or asymmetric operations rather than purely defensive civil protection. Such militarisation of civilian populations—particularly with framing centred on sacrifice and martyrdom—risks destabilising the region and could facilitate non-state actors or unconventional warfare tactics that endanger civilians across the Middle East.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Tehran holds its first military training course for women after calls for Iranians to ‘sacrifice themselves’”.