The Iranians are recruiting worldwide – but for what?

“Sacrifice your life for Iran.”

The ‘Sacrifice for Life’ campaign has been launched to declare the readiness of the Iranian people to play an effective role in confronting the American-Zionist enemy and defending Islamic Iran.”

The Iranians have launched a worldwide campaign to sign up Iranian citizens living abroad to be ready to sacrifice their lives and embrace martyrdom for the homeland. Iranian embassies have been directing people to log in to the Mikhak system using their national ID and click the Jan Fada option to sign up.

Analysts assess that the move is mostly a propaganda campaign designed to show that the regime in Tehran has broad support. The so-called Jan Fada campaign launched in March/April 2026.

Iranian state media and officials claim tens of millions have signed up (figures like 10–30+ million are reported but unverified independently). This includes officials, athletes, and public figures. Iranian Embassies are promoting the campaign online using language like “give our bodies to be slain” or “sacrifice life for Iran” to show solidarity and national will. There have been no reports of actual training, deployment, or transport of overseas registrants.

That said, inside Iran, the campaign is tied to real recruitment drives for the IRGC, Basij, and the Army reserves amid fears of a ground invasion by the United States. Volunteers could, in theory, be called up for defense within Iran (human chains, checkpoints, support roles). The regime is also organizing marches and rallies inside Iran designed to rally public support for the war and to demonstrate to the world that the Iranian people stand united.

Right now, it looks like this worldwide recruitment effort is only symbolic. Only time will tell whether there is a darker side to it, and that some of those claiming they are ready to martyr themselves turn out to be deadly serious.

Originally published by AND Magazine