Iran's Janfada campaign holds first public military exercise in Tehran

September 20, 2026 at 06:47 PM2 min

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Iran's Janfada mobilization campaign held its first public military exercise in Tehran on Friday, with thousands of masked men, women and children marching through downtown streets. The event followed authorities' claim that more than 600,000 people registered for active mobilization this week, though state television footage did not appear to support the announced march of 313,000 participants.

Key Facts

The Janfada campaign was launched in late March 2026 at the peak of the war with the United States and Israel.
Authorities claimed more than 31 million people registered in the first month, but foreign-based activists found fewer than 4 million registrations in the website's source code.
IRGC Tehran commander Hassan Hassanzadeh said on Friday that 33 million people are now registered.
Organizers said 26 percent of registrants selected military and security work, with other categories including rescue, social services, media, and financial support.

The Janfada Campaign

The Islamic Republic first unveiled the Janfada mobilization drive in late March at the peak of the war with the United States and Israel. The campaign aims to train and arm volunteer civilians who would serve under the Basij militia arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Banners across Tehran show images of rocket-propelled grenades, sniper rifles, assault rifles, and communications equipment with the text "Do you know how to work with this?" Authorities said they had already formed an initial 1,000 units described as "battalions".

Registration Discrepancies

One month after launch, authorities claimed more than 31 million people had registered, representing over a third of Iran's total population. Foreign-based activists accessed the website's source code and found fewer than four million registrations. Only a phone number was required for registration, with no national identification number needed. After the controversy, the ticker showing recruit numbers slowed significantly, but IRGC commander Hassan Hassanzadeh claimed on Friday that 33 million people are now registered. Authorities have not released documentation to back their figures.

The Tehran Exercise

Janfada recruits held their first public military exercise on Friday in Tehran, with thousands of children, women and men marching on downtown streets. Many participants were masked and wearing shades. Prior to the event, authorities called it a march of 313,000 people, a number with significance in Twelver Shia tradition as the core companions of the hidden imam Mahdi. Footage broadcast by state television did not appear to justify the 313,000 claim.