‘Endless fears’: Even if fighting stops, the damage to Iran’s children will endure
‘Endless fears’: Even if fighting stops, the damage to Iran’s children will endure
The war lingers in Ali’s mind, an unrelenting presence that transforms everyday sounds into triggers. A slamming door or dropped utensil sends his body into a reflexive panic. The ceasefire has not eased his trauma. “Before the war, I had no stress at all,” he recalls. “Now, even the smallest sound causes my brain to react badly.”
The Silent Scars of Conflict
Ali, a 15-year-old whose name has been withheld, describes how the echoes of US and Israeli airstrikes have embedded themselves in his psyche. These auditory memories provoke an automatic startle response, disrupting his sense of safety. More than 20% of Iran’s population—around 20.4 million children—have been shaped by this turmoil. Psychologists note that hyperarousal, a heightened state of alertness, often signals early signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Families are trapped in homes, their lives upended by the threat of aerial attacks and regime patrols. Schools are closed, and the streets are tense with uncertainty. “I have no contact with my friends… I should be able to study, work, and build a future,” Ali says. “But I’m constantly worrying about bombs, politics, and endless fears.”
Aid and Anxiety
At a Tehran human rights center, Aysha—her name changed for safety—offers support to a distraught mother over the phone. “Try the techniques I suggested to create a calmer environment,” she advises. “If possible, play with him and keep him engaged. If that fails, bring him back to the center.” The center reports frequent calls and visits from anxious parents, citing sleep disturbances, nightmares, and aggressive behavior as common symptoms.
Aysha emphasizes the emotional weight of raising children in such conditions. “When you struggle so much to raise a child, only for that child to be killed—whether in protests or war—no parent would want to bring a child into the world,” she laments.
Children as Combatants
The Iranian regime has actively mobilized youth, urging parents to send their children to checkpoints. “Take your children by the hand and come out to the street,” a regime official urged. “Let them feel they are heroes in the battlefield, commanding the fight.” This push has led to children under 15 being enlisted in the Basij volunteer militia, violating international law.
Amnesty International condemns this practice, calling it a “grave violation of international humanitarian law.” In a tragic example, 11-year-old Alireza Jafari was killed by a drone strike while assisting his father at a checkpoint in Tehran on 29 March. His mother, Sadaf Monfared, shared that he had told her, “I would like to become a martyr.”
Across the region, from Iran to Israel, Lebanon, and the Gulf, children face the same relentless fear. The war has not just reshaped their world—it has fractured their futures.
