Iranian women have begun specialized military and survival training under the government-backed “Janfada” campaign, as tensions surrounding Iran’s recent conflict with the United States and Israel continue.
A specialized training course for the campaign’s national women’s team was held at a military camp, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency. The program included military skills, emergency response, guerrilla tactics, survival techniques and preparation for harsh conditions.
Footage and photographs released from the training show women taking part in military exercises and receiving instruction under the supervision of trainers. Other reports show women at Janfada facilities in Tehran learning basic military skills, including supervised weapons handling.
The training forms part of the broader Janfada (“devoted to Iran” or “those who sacrifice their lives for Iran”) mobilisation campaign. The initiative has been expanded to provide civilian volunteers with military and emergency-response training and to organize participants into units for national defence.
A Janfada military-training centre opened at Imam Hossein Square in Tehran on September 23, with Basij officials saying volunteers would receive instruction in areas including surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue, marksmanship and the operation of defensive equipment. Authorities have also announced plans to establish similar centres in other parts of the country.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of the continuing confrontation between Iran and the United States and Israel. Iranian authorities have presented the civilian training as part of preparations for possible emergencies and national defence.
However, reports about the broader Janfada campaign have also drawn controversy inside Iran. IranWire reported that some government and military officials have expressed concerns about the expansion of the campaign and the arming and organization of large numbers of civilians.
The recent training therefore represents a notable expansion of civilian participation in Iran’s wartime preparedness efforts, with women now publicly featured among those receiving military and survival instruction.
