A Committed Pharmacist and a Homesick Blogger: Iranian Civilians Killed in the War

Middle East - Ekhbary News Agency

A Committed Pharmacist and a Homesick Blogger: Iranian Civilians Killed in the War

In the relentless onslaught of airstrikes that have pounded Iranian cities for over three weeks, the personal stories of civilian lives extinguished are beginning to surface, offering a stark glimpse into the human cost of the escalating conflict. Among the tragically lost are Parastesh Dahaghin, a young pharmacist dedicated to her community, who was killed in an explosion while at her workplace in Tehran. Berivan Molani, a vibrant lifestyle blogger and online clothing entrepreneur, met her fate in her bed when debris from an air strike pierced her home in the capital. The devastating reach of this conflict is not sparing the youngest among them; three-year-old Eilmah Bilki reportedly died a day after sustaining injuries in the western town of Sardasht.

Tehran and other Iranian cities have been subjected to sustained aerial bombardments, with thousands of targets reportedly hit across the country. The frequency of these strikes has led to a mounting toll of civilian casualties, sparking urgent concerns about the safety of non-combatants and adherence to international humanitarian law. In the face of pervasive internet blackouts and the sheer chaos of war, documenting these individual tragedies becomes an arduous task. Yet, through the limited channels that remain open, fragments of information are emerging, gradually revealing the identities of a small fraction of the civilian lives claimed by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Parastesh Dahaghin was reportedly at her pharmacy in Tehran's Apadana neighbourhood when a nearby building, belonging to an IT company allegedly involved in Iran's internet shutdown, was struck. According to the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, the blast claimed her life. Online videos depict a poignant mourning ceremony for Parastesh, with framed photographs of her surrounded by candles and flowers. Her brother, Poorya, shared on Instagram that his sister was simply performing her professional duties when she was killed. He recounted how the family had urged her to leave Tehran due to safety concerns, but she steadfastly refused. "People need me, people have been wounded," she had explained. "They come to the pharmacy, and elderly people need their medication. I have to stay here and help my people." Her commitment to service, even in the face of extreme danger, paints a vivid picture of her character.

Less is known about the young Eilmah Bilki, whose photograph was shared with the BBC by the Kurdish human rights group, Hengaw. The group stated that she had been severely wounded in US-Israeli airstrikes in early March and succumbed to her injuries a day later. Berivan Molani, a 26-year-old lifestyle blogger and owner of an online clothing shop, was an only child. She had recently returned to Tehran from a safer region in northern Iran, driven by a profound longing for home, only to be caught in the crossfire. Her family, as relayed by a friend, Razieh Janbaz, on Instagram, were unaware that Iran's Minister of Intelligence, Esmail Khatib, resided in the building directly opposite their home on Makouyipour Street, in Tehran's affluent Zafaraniyeh district. This proximity to a high-profile official likely made their building a target.

Night-time footage released by the Iranian Red Crescent captured the harrowing moments rescuers worked to free Berivan's trapped mother from the rubble, her desperate pleas echoing: "Is my daughter alive?" While Berivan had been pulled from the debris, her crush injuries proved fatal. "She was killed in her bed, right before going to sleep, during the missile attack on March 17th," Janbaz wrote. She further explained that several of Berivan's neighbours perished in the same Israeli airstrike, which reportedly targeted Minister Khatib's residence. Janbaz, a former member of Iran's national handball team, visited the site after the attack and found only a pair of trainers lying on the street, a tragic remnant of her friend's life. "This was a family who did everything in their power to protect their child yet in the end – without even knowing who lives in the house across from them – they lost her," she lamented, encapsulating the indiscriminate nature of the attacks.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has documented over 1,400 civilian deaths to date, with children constituting 15% of this grim tally. One of the war's most devastating single incidents occurred when a primary school in the southern town of Minab was hit by a missile strike early in the conflict. Reports indicate that the strike targeted a nearby military base, raising questions about US responsibility. While the US military has not publicly admitted to hitting the school, it has stated that an investigation is underway. The Kurdish human rights group Hengaw has identified 48 children and 10 adults killed in this school attack alone. Hengaw has expressed "grave concern" over the escalating civilian casualties. Iran does not publicly disclose its own military losses, but HRANA reports at least 1,167 military personnel have been killed since the war began.

The ongoing conflict has seen numerous Iranians arrested for utilizing the internet, reflecting a broader crackdown on information flow. Even for human rights organizations with established networks on the ground, gathering accurate casualty data remains exceptionally difficult. Hengaw reports that Iranian border guards have been issued orders to shoot individuals attempting to access Iraqi phone and internet networks, often available near the border, as the regime tightens control over its population and the war narrative. "It's a really heartbreaking situation for people," Awyar Shekhi of Hengaw commented. "Earlier this year they were being killed on the streets by the Iranian government and now they risk being killed by the bombings." He highlighted the dangerous proximity of government buildings to residential areas and noted the stark absence of civilian bomb shelters, even in a major city like Tehran. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has stated that civilians are paying an "alarming" price for this war. Hamidreza Jahanbakhsh, a Red Crescent worker, is among the deceased, and several of its facilities have sustained damage. Vincent Cassard, Head of the ICRC delegation, emphasized, "International humanitarian law is clear: Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be spared from attack. Medical workers and first responders, as well as medical transport and facilities and humanitarian personnel must be respected and protected." The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified over 20 attacks on health care facilities, with reports of many more, and confirmed the deaths of at least nine health workers. "It's not for us to determine if a strike was aimed directly at that facility or a facility next to it," stated Ian Clarke, who is directing WHO's response to the war in the Middle East. "It's an attack on health, and the onus is on the people who are pursuing a conflict to actively protect civilians and to protect and take the measures to ensure that the health facilities are not impacted." He added unequivocally, "Any attack on health care is a breach of international law." The United States has consistently maintained that it does not target civilians and takes its legal obligations seriously.

Ekhbary News Agency