Iran establishes its first armed female Basij battalion as Tehran trains women on AK-47s amid US tensions

From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026.

Tehran has stood up its first all-female armed Basij battalion, with women undergoing firearms and combat training — including ziplines and AK-47 drills — in a direct response to rising tensions with the US and Israel. The move marks a significant escalation in Iran's domestic military mobilisation, expanding the Revolutionary Guards' paramilitary wing to include organised female combat units for the first time.

The Basij, Iran's feared paramilitary force, has historically used female members in auxiliary roles — this is the first time they have been formed into a dedicated armed battalion.

The training programme, photographed by Reuters in Tehran, shows women practising assault rifle handling and obstacle courses designed to prepare them for active combat scenarios.

The female soldiers have been described as Iran's 'new weapon', reflecting alarm in Israel at the speed of Tehran's military expansion on its home front.