PARIS: In the security crackdown ordered by Iranian authorities since the start of the war, an unsettling new sight on the streets of Tehran has put residents on edge: teenagers armed with machine guns.
During the first weeks of the war against the United States and Israel, checkpoints sprang up around the capital, often comprising police or military vehicles, with traffic cones and barriers blocking the roads.
In recent days, following highly publicized airstrikes on their positions, some of the most visible barriers have been removed, but security forces remain a noticeable presence on the streets.
Iranian authorities have confirmed they are recruiting children as young as 12 for paramilitary group patrols, traffic checks and other duties.
“Around 9 pm, I was feeling suffocated and nostalgic, so I got in the car to drive around town,” a 28-year-old woman told AFP on Monday on condition that her identity be protected.
