Iranian army begins basic military training for civilians in Tehran

The Iranian army plans to begin training volunteers under a programme aimed at preparing citizens for “national defence”, the Iranian news agency West Asia News Agency (WANA) reported, as Al Jazeera relays in its live blog on the war.

Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Alian-Nejad, the army’s deputy commander for training and education, said the programme will be held at three centres in Tehran starting today. According to him, personnel from all four branches of the army will be sent to several designated “field barracks” sites to give volunteers “basic military training”, followed by more advanced courses.

The announcement comes at a moment when Iran is preparing for the possibility of a new American bombing campaign, broader than the previous ones, according to sources cited in international media. The Iranian authorities have recently stepped up mobilisation rhetoric, with the “Janfadaa” campaign claiming that more than 31 million Iranians have registered as volunteers to serve.

In parallel, Iranian media reported that Tehran has arrested 31 people belonging to four networks backed by the U.S. and Israel, linked to attempts to incite unrest and acts of sabotage, according to Al Jazeera‘s reporting.

The new civilian training programme is seen as another signal of Iran’s preparations for a prolonged conflict, while the American blockade continues to squeeze the country’s oil exports and economy.