What’s behind Iranian authorities’ push for a mass mobilisation campaign?

Iranian authorities have rolled out a large mobilisation campaign called Janfada, aimed at recruiting volunteer civilians to serve under the Basij branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. State messaging — including banners in Tehran depicting weaponry and military equipment — frames the drive as training and arming volunteers to contribute to state security. Organisers say the effort includes a mix of military and non-military roles, with registrants able to select duties ranging from security to rescue, social services, media and financial support. The campaign’s public profile rose with a military-style march in central Tehran, which authorities claimed involved hundreds of thousands of participants. State broadcasts and officials have published large registration figures: at launch authorities said more than 31 million had signed up, a number later repeated and increased by some officials to 33 million. Independent researchers who inspected the recruitment website’s source code reported fewer than four million registrations, and officials have not published supporting documentation for their totals. Janfada’s organisers stated that about 26% of registrants chose military and security work, while the remainder selected other categories. The mobilisation is not limited to adult men: organisers said boys over 15 may register and indicated plans to recruit younger children in the future. Friday’s parade prominently featured teenagers and women; some teens were shown carrying weapons and women — many in chador — appeared armed or riding motorcycles despite civilian restrictions on women’s mobility. Officials and state media presented the mobilisation within the context of broader tensions with the United States and Israel. Military hardware linked to the conflict was displayed during the Tehran event, and Iranian leaders have tied mobilisation to national resilience as the country confronts a US naval blockade, intensified sanctions, and domestic energy shortages. Government appeals also linked volunteer activity to alleviating the country’s economic and energy strains, with President Masoud Pezeshkian urging volunteers to help by conserving fuel and electricity amid rationing measures and intermittent blackouts. While authorities describe Janfada as a wide civic mobilisation encompassing many roles, the scale and transparency of recruitment figures remain disputed. The push follows months of domestic unrest and comes as Iran’s security leadership says it has relayed negotiation conditions to Washington while also signalling readiness to resume hostilities if necessary.