Hundreds of Thousands Rally in Tehran as Iran Unveils New Volunteer Force Amid Sanctions and Blockade

Hundreds of thousands of people took part in a state-organised rally in central Tehran on Friday as the Iranian government unveiled a newly formed volunteer force and pledged national unity amid mounting economic pressure from the United States.

What Happened

The government used the demonstration to introduce the Janfada-ye-Iran volunteer campaign, saying recruits will receive limited military and emergency-response training to act alongside the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia. Participants marched through downtown Tehran in combat-style uniforms; some carried flags and rifles while state displays included drones, anti-aircraft batteries and other equipment.

Members of the Basij paramilitary force at the military rally in Tehran on Friday [AFP]

Official Figures And Claims

Authorities reported 313,000 attendees in Tehran, a figure that could not be independently verified. Tehran's IRGC chief, Hassan Hassanzadeh, told state broadcaster IRIB that more than 600,000 people had registered for the Janfada-ye-Iran campaign and that officials expect more than one million to take part in planned training. Government figures also say some 30 million people nationwide — roughly a third of Iran's 86 million population — have registered for a potential call-up.

'I want to show the world that Iran is strong and united. We don't want war, but we're ready to defend our country to the very end,' one volunteer, who gave her name as Bahera, told reporters.

Leadership And Rhetoric

Senior leaders at the rally included President Masoud Pezeshkian and Basij commander Hossein Taeb. Taeb told the crowd the volunteers would be prepared for 'full-fledged defence' and called them a 'nightmare' for Iran's enemies. Al Jazeera's Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from the event, said the mobilisation was presented as a show of national solidarity and defence, and that women and teenagers have also registered with the volunteer units.

Members of Iran's Basij paramilitary force at the rally [AFP]

Context

Organisers framed the mobilisation as part of a broader defence strategy amid a severe economic squeeze. The rally took place as Iran grapples with a US naval blockade of some ports, fresh US sanctions, and recent US actions targeting digital-currency networks accused of helping sanctioned Iranian entities access the international financial system.

The deteriorating economy helped fuel nationwide protests last December that challenged Iran's political order; Tehran's official toll for those protests is about 3,000 deaths, while activists say more than 7,000 were killed. Officials say the US-Israeli strikes that began in late February shifted public attention, allowing authorities to portray themselves as defenders against external threats. The volunteer mobilisation campaign was launched in early April, according to officials.

Verification And Significance

Attendance and registration figures are official claims and have not been independently verified. Analysts say such rallies serve multiple purposes: signalling resolve to foreign rivals, bolstering domestic support for the government, and recruiting personnel for auxiliary security roles. Whether the new force will alter Iran's strategic posture will depend on the scale and quality of training and the extent of official integration with the IRGC and Basij.