I had a friend in HS who lived in Iran from the time he was about 10 until he moved here at about 15 y.o..
I remember him telling me he lived about 1/2 block from the end of town and his school was about a 1/2 mile away. On top of one of the buildings were a couple of guys manning a machine gun. Every day he walked to school, they had that machine gun trained on him until he got to the school. He was 10 years old.
Last I heard, he'd joined the Army. He should be about due to retire from that any time now, if he hasn't already.
Hope he's doin' ok.