The U.S. State Department, in its 2026 annual report on human trafficking, kept Iran in the third level, the lowest tier of this classification, and said the Islamic Republic does not meet minimum standards for combating human trafficking and is not making a significant effort to address the situation.

The report, released on Thursday, accused officials of the Islamic Republic of committing or turning a blind eye to crimes related to human trafficking without facing prosecution, and added that the Iranian government has a policy or practice of forced recruitment of children into armed groups.

According to the report, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij, in addition to Iranian children, also recruit vulnerable Afghan, Pakistani, and Syrian migrants.

The U.S. State Department referred to a recruitment campaign by the IRGC in March 2026, in which the minimum age for some activities, including security duties, was set at 12 years.

The report also said that the Islamic Republic provides material support to Yemen’s Houthis; an armed group that, according to the U.S. State Department, recruits and employs children as soldiers.