Benjamin Zand explores the foggy realm of Iran’s National Service and its effect on the people of Iran

There is one question that plagues the minds of Iran’s population of male youths; Artesh or Pasdaran? Since conscription became mandatory in 1925 and the Islamic Revolution prevailed, National Service and its military organisations have been an all too constant chain around the ankles of Iran’s ambitious youths.

At an age where most people’s worries consist of parties and waist-lines, the majority of youths in Iran have more urgent matters at hand. Women are currently exempt from compulsory national service, but very few men have this option.

Their options are very restricted, and should be considered more outcomes than options. In the majority of cases, the government will choose conscripts’ destinations depending on qualifications, previous jobs and family members.The Artesh is Iran’s traditional army, with an info-structure similar to that of many armies around the world. It is said to be considerably more popular amongst the anti-government portion of Iran’s population. The Pasdaran on the other hand, is the ‘Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution’ and has close links with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ’s government. This path can often secure a good life for conscripts, but requires a minimum of 6-months as a member of the non-active military group the Basij, a group the Iranian government claim has over 20 million members and one that is often labelled terrorist by the West. [Read more...]