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Iranian TV teaches viewers to shoot as IRGC ramps up child recruitment

EuroNews · · 699 words · By Babak Kamiar
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/2026/05/19/iranian-tv-teaches-viewers-to-shoot-as-irgc-…

fact_checkFact-Check Results

13 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 3
schedule Pending 3
verified Verified By Reference 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
verified
“Iranian state television IRIB has broadcast weapons training programmes featuring simulated shooting at the forehead of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence includes a TikTok video and general news about Trump/Netanyahu, but no authoritative source confirms the specific broadcast of simulated shooting at their foreheads by IRIB.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting mili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2026, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was assassinated in Tehran as part of a series of Israeli airstrikes aimed at high-ranking Iranian officials. Khamenei's death was confir…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Ali_Khamenei
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Twelve-Day War was an armed conflict between Iran and Israel which lasted from 13 to 24 June 2025. It began when Israel bombed military and nuclear facilities in Iran in a surprise attack, assassi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-Day_War
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“a live demonstration in which a host fired at the flag of the United Arab Emirates”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results provided for this claim are about construction equipment and have no relevance to IRIB or the UAE flag.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Construction equipment is being bought more than ever, thanks to a growing number of commercial, residential, and industrial projects that require heavy-duty tools and machinery to get the job done. W…
https://www.empire-cat.com/company/news/25-types-of-heavy-co…
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web search NEUTRAL — Kubota's construction machinery, including mini excavators, wheel loaders, and compact track loaders, have gained high reputation in Europe, North America, Japan, and other Asian countries. Kubota min…
https://www.kubota.com/products/machinery/index.html
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web search NEUTRAL — Whether hiring or buying, find the right machinery for your construction site from the extensive programme of construction machines from Liebherr.
https://www.liebherr.com/en-int/group/products/construction-…
info
“The broadcasts... show live studio instruction on how to operate and dismantle weapons including Kalashnikov rifles, PK machine guns, the Dragunov sniper rifle and the RPG-7.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provides general information about the weapons mentioned (SVD, AK-47, RPG-7) but does not confirm that IRIB broadcasted instructional programs on how to operate or dismantle them.
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web search NEUTRAL — 'Dragunov sniper rifle'), GRAU index 6V1,[2] is a semi-automatic designated marksman rifle/sniper rifle[3] chambered in the 7.62×54mmR cartridge, developed in the Soviet Union.The rifle's receiver is …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SVD_(rifle)
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web search NEUTRAL — The SVD / Dragunov video took us a long time to complete.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptF9BBL669w
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web search NEUTRAL — On April 4, the United States transferred over 5,000 AK-47s, machine guns, sniper rifles, and RPG-7s, and over 500,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces.
https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/thousands-machine-gu…
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“The network has also broadcast footage of weapons training inside mosques in Ahvaz, Kerman, Shiraz and Zahedan”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web sources confirm that Iranian state media broadcast footage of weapons training in mosques, specifically mentioning Ahvaz, Kerman, Shiraz, and Zahedan.
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web search NEUTRAL — Ahvaz is located in Iran.Ahvaz is located 100 km north-east of Abadan and is accessible via following routes in addition of a single runway airport: Tehran-Khorramshahr national railway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahvaz
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web search NEUTRAL — Using Mosques For Imparting Military Training To 30 Million People. Amidst escalating tensions with the United States and Israel, Iran has commenced providing weapons training to its citizens.
https://www.topindiannews.com/international/iran-preparing-f…
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web search NEUTRAL — The report, broadcast on Saturday (May 16), showed gatherings in mosques in Ahvaz, Kerman, Bijar, Shiraz and Zahedan, with participants including families and teenagers.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/worl…
verified
“US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on that day resulted in the death of his father and former Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Multiple Wikipedia entries and cross-references from EuroNews confirm that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated in Tehran on February 28, 2026, during US-Israeli strikes.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2026, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was assassinated in Tehran as part of a series of Israeli airstrikes aimed at high-ranking Iranian officials. Khamenei's death was confir…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Ali_Khamenei
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei (born 8 September 1969) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the third supreme leader of Iran since 2026. A member of the Khamenei family and the second son …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojtaba_Khamenei
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ali Hosseini Khamenei (19 April 1939 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the second supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in the 2026 Iran wa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khamenei
+ 2 more evidence sources
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“an 11-year-old boy was killed by an Israeli drone strike while manning an IRGC checkpoint in Tehran last Sunday.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including a web search result and a report on the 2026 Iran war, confirm that 11-year-old Alireza Jafari was killed at a checkpoint in Tehran during Israeli/US strikes.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting mili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of airstrikes and bombardments carried out during the 2026 Iran war. The strikes began on 28 February 2026, when Israel and the United States launched attacks on targets across Iran, co…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_attacks_during_the_202…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tehran (Hebrew: טהרן) is an Israeli spy thriller television series created by Moshe Zonder for the Israeli public channel Kan 11. Written by Zonder and Omri Shenhar and directed by Daniel Syrkin, the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran_(TV_series)
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Hengaw and HRANA identified the child as Alireza Jafari”
CORROBORATED
Both Hengaw and France 24 (citing Hengaw) identify the child killed at the checkpoint as Alireza Jafari.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The state of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran has generally been regarded as extremely poor by several international organisations and bodies. The United Nations General Assembly and the H…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_the_Islamic_Re…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Deaths during the Mahsa Amini protests refer to those people who were killed due to Iran's nationwide protests of 2022, triggered by the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian Jina Mahsa Amini on Septem…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_during_the_Mahsa_Amini_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting mili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“The IRGC formally announced a civilian recruitment campaign on 26 March, setting the minimum enlistment age at 12.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence discusses the IRGC generally or other statements, but does not specifically confirm a recruitment campaign announcement on March 26 with a minimum age of 12.
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web search NEUTRAL — The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known domestically as Sepah or Pasdaran and internationally as Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary force of the Iranian Armed Fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guard_Co…
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web search NEUTRAL — Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attend an IRGC ground forces military drill in the Aras area, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, Oct. 17, 2022.
https://jewishpostandnews.ca/uncategorized/the-media-ignores…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has just issued a statement about striking American and British oil tankers. This was reported by Iranian state media and Sky News, according to UNN.
https://unn.ua/en/news/the-islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps…
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“Rahim Nadali, deputy of the Mohammad Rasulullah IRGC unit in Tehran, said in a television appearance on the same date that children of 12 and 13 had expressed interest in taking part in intelligence patrols and checkpoint operations.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources confirm that Rahim Nadali stated in a televised interview that teenagers/children of 12 and 13 expressed interest in intelligence patrols and checkpoint operations.
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web search NEUTRAL — Iran’s child recruitment policy exposed after death of 11-year-old at checkpoint; evidence shows minors used in security roles in violation of international law.
https://iran-hrm.com/2026/04/02/irans-children-instead-of-sc…
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web search NEUTRAL — Rahim Nadali, the deputy director of culture and arts at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), called for members of the general public to step up and “defend the homeland” in comments to Iran’s…
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-re…
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web search NEUTRAL — “In relation to intelligence and operational patrols, teenagers and youth have repeatedly come forward saying they want to take part,” Nadali stated in a televised interview.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-892975
help
“An IRGC advertising poster published by Defa Press News Agency showed two children alongside adults in military uniform.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found for this claim in the provided search results.
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“During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the authorities recruited hundreds of thousands of children into the Basij for high-risk operations, with tens of thousands killed, according to HRW estimates based on Iranian official figures.”
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“Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, conscripting or enlisting children under the age of 15 into armed forces or using them to participate actively in hostilities constitutes a war crime.”
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“Iran also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and signed the convention's additional protocol, which prohibits recruiting minors under 18 to participate in armed conflicts.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.