you said:
“There is a long record of Assyrian and Armenian Christians serving with distinction in Iranian armed forces both before and after the Revolution.”
Neo-Janissaries
Sorry, but to compare the Christians who fought in Iran’s armed forces (both under the Monarchy and the Islamic Republic) with the Ottoman Janissaries (kidnapped Christian children who were forcibly converted to Islam and trained to defend the Sultan) is unfair and shows a grwat lack of knowledge.
“Neo-Janissaries”
No. They served as did other Iranians who belong to religious minority groups to defend their homeland. Foreigners usually forget or don’t acknowledge the fact that most Iranians who aren’t muslim have lived in Iran for centuries too. So, it’s their country as well. In fact they could leave if they wanted to do so - they choose to stay.