How likely is it that a USA male, 18, dual-citizenship visiting family in Iran would get drafted?

Question

Young man, estranged from father, wants to visit him in Iran. Feels that his US passport (and citizenship) will protect him from the possibility of being drafted into the Iranian military. It would be really good to know if he is in that kind of danger before he gets on a plane and goes...

Answer 1

I don't know Iranian law, you'll need to contact their embassy and ask.  They may not recognize dual citizenship.  We don't after age 18 even if the other country does.

Answer 2

I know for a fact that dual French and US will get the French looking for you. There was a guy in my unit in Germany that had to go to France with a JAG to get them to back off.

Later in civilian life a guy from Nigeria went home to visit and was promptly drafted. Do not know if he was a US citizen or not. However since he was in Nigeria US law does not apply.

I would think at this point that you are just asking for trouble for yourself and your Father.

Helen was so fearful her son would be assassinated in Hanoi that she forbid him to take a job with the State Dept. He was born there (Saigon) and the family has ties to the S. Vietnamese government.....they are watched to this day. She still has lots of family there.

Answer 3

With the dual citizenship, it might be a problem.  You might want to get some information from the state department before you go.

fs

Answer 4

This is a very tough situation.

I would say that I would hold of on the trip for a while.  From the looks of things, Iran will be at war with either Israel or the US by the end of this year.

I'm not sure how Iranians would treat a dual-citizenship visitor, but I would place my bets on them ignoring any US affiliation for that visitor in a military draft situation.

Answer 5

You are on your own.

If you are in another country and your break the rules, the US might not be able to help you out if you entered that country on another passport, that is citizenship. It is all about what citizenship you enter with.  If you are an dual US and UK citizen for example, you must enter each home country with their own respective passports. When in the UK you are a UK citizen, when in the USA you are a USA citizen.

If you enter Iran on a passport other than Iranian and you are a Iranian citizen you are in for even more trouble. Stay home and write your father. Maybe in the fiuture things will change and you can visit together without any problems. We can only hope things get better.

Answer 6

Maybe you should contact family or friends in Iran who can help with this. Doubtful that US citizenship will protect you from the powers that be in Iran. As a US citizen you will always have the help of the US Consulate, but what Iran may do is a different ballgame. Check with the Iranian Consulate in Washington,DC.

Answer 7

When you say you have dual citizenship, I assume you mean you have Iranian and American citizenship.

For the purposes of citizenship, Iranian authorities basically do not give a c**p if you're American. Since you have Iranian citizenship, then that is what they consider you to be, American or not. They may, in fact, give you MORE trouble because you have dual Iranian/American citizenship.

I don't know about being drafted into the military but I do think you're at risk of opening a big can of worms on yourself if you go.

It's a d**n shame but Iran is not a good place to be for Americans these days.

And remember that the US has no official diplomatic representation in Iran.

I suggest you take a look at the Department of State's travel advisory on Iran: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw...

Answer 8

0.00001%

Unless YOU think Iran is going to invade the US.  No.  It's never going to happen any more than you'd join.

Answer 9

We don't have the draft. The U.S. military is comprised of volunteers that are the best people in the world. As for Iran, I would think twice before boarding a plane for a visit if I were an 18 year old male. He may find himself drafted and not ever allowed to return to the U.S, Stay home. Iran is no place to visit right now.

Answer 10

I would not go. You can get in  BUT may not be able to GET OUT.

I had a lady in our church visit relatives there 2 years ago and the authorities would not allow her to leave. It took 6 months and she had to fly to Europe first using a different name (IE Bill instead of William) . When she did get to come home and she had to wait to buy the ticket pay top $$ then fly the rest of the way all so they wouldn't find out.

SCARE  REYYY STUFFFFFF  Be Careful!!

Answer 11

He will get drafted if he was born in Iran whether or not he has American citizenship. I recall that the Iranian military drafts every boy born in Iran into the military at the age of 18(-16) without their consent (they are in preparation for defense).

When you say that he has Iranian citizenship, I am guessing he was born there right? Like I said before, the stubborn Iranians will only check if he is a native, American citizenship will not change their mind.

Otherwise, if you weren't born there, the Iranians will disregard him but that does not give him diplomatic immunity. Yet I would still be careful, right now is not such a good time with so much tension between the Americans and Iranians. They even wiretap phone calls from the U.S. so watch out when he contacts family in Iran.