Athlete, Pilates instructor, teacher: Human toll of Israel's attack on Iran

Al Jazeera

5 hours ago

Israel's attacks on Tehran have not only targeted military bases and nuclear sites, but they also have penetrated the bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms of ordinary citizens. Children have been killed. Teachers have fallen silent. Athletes have been buried in the rubble. All of them were as far removed from politics as possible.
The attacks between Israel and Iran started on Friday, when Israel launched what it called preemptive air strikes targeting more than a dozen Iranian sites — including key nuclear facilities, nuclear scientists and military leaders — in an operation it said was aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
According to the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, at least 224 people have been killed and 1,481 wounded.
Iran has retaliated with a wave of ballistic missile strikes against Israel, claiming the lives of at least 24 people and wounding 380, in an escalation that has raised fears of a broader regional conflict.
In Tehran, the full scale of the destruction remains to be seen. But in the streets, evidence of the lives lost emerges from the wreckage of bombed-out buildings. A child's lifeless body in the rubble. A dirt-covered doll abandoned in the street. A sketchbook lost among the concrete and dust.
For many Iranians, these scenes evoke memories of the Iran-Iraq War. But this time, the war is not at the borders; it's in the heart of the capital. Residents say the night sky in Tehran — now dotted with missiles and fires — is not the one they know.
In a mass panic, people are fleeing the city in droves. Petrol stations are overrun. Highways are jammed. Homes that once promised safety stand vulnerable with no emergency shelters or warning sirens.
Here are some of the victims who died in the recent attacks on Tehran.
On Saturday morning, Tehran reeked of dust and smoke. Israeli missiles had landed on homes that were filled with laughter just hours before. One of the silenced voices belonged to Niloufar Ghalehvand, whose friend Ghazal* recalled the last time she saw her at a cafe sipping coffee, just one night before the bombs fell.
Ghalehvand, a 32-year-old Pilates instructor, was killed along with her father, Kamran Ghalehvand, and her mother, Fatemeh Sedighi, in their home on Ozgol Street in northern Tehran.
'We were at the cafe, having coffee, and she said, 'Iran is so beautiful. I just wish we could live in peace, like people in other countries,'' Ghazal told Al Jazeera. 'I still can't believe she's gone. We were making plans to celebrate her 32nd birthday on June 28. She was so full of hope.'
Ghazal said Ghalehvand lived near the residence of Iran's highest-ranking military commander, General Mohammad Bagheri, the target of the strike.
'They were ordinary people,' Ghazal said of Ghalehvand's family. 'They didn't engage in political activity.'
Ghalehvand dreamed of becoming a famous Pilates instructor.
'The last time we met, she asked me to help her launch an Instagram page to post her workout videos. She never imagined she would become famous for her death.'
Ghalehvand had been a professional instructor for eight years, but Ghazal said her income was never enough. She worked on commission at local gyms and was always seeking more private clients.
On Friday morning, Parsa Mansour, a 27-year-old professional paddle tennis player, was asleep at home in Shahrara, a densely packed district in northern Tehran, when an Israeli missile struck nearby.
The blast shattered the windows, and debris collapsed on top of him, killing him instantly. His parents, who were in the next room, miraculously survived.
'Parsa was full of laughter and always joking,' said Saman*, his best friend. He noted that Parsa was a self-made athlete who trained alone without a coach.
'When I saw the Tennis Federation's announcement of his death, I was in shock. I didn't believe it at first. Then I went to his home. It was in ruins,' Saman said.
'Parsa's father is in a terrible state. He still can't believe his son is gone.'
On Sunday afternoon, Amin Ahmad, a 30-year-old taekwondo athlete, witnessed his father's horrific death in eastern Tehran.
'I saw it with my own eyes,' said Ahmad. 'My father was blasted out of the house. His face was burned, and his ears were torn off.'
Ahmad's voice trembled as he recalled his father's final moments.
'We were trapped inside. I had to force the window bars open and call out for help. Someone brought a ladder, and my mother and I escaped,' he said.
'My father was a teacher. He bought this home after a lifetime of hard work, so he could retire in peace. Now he's dead, and the house is destroyed. What was his crime? I don't know what to do.'
On Sunday at midday, after two nights of Israeli fighter jets buzzing Iranian airspace, an explosion struck the relatively wealthy neighbourhood of Tajrish in northern Tehran. Water pipes burst, flooding the streets.
Ehsan Bayrami, a 35-year-old freelance photographer and graphic designer who was walking nearby, was killed instantly.
Ali*, a colleague, said Bayrami had just left a work meeting and was on his way home.
'He used to film videos for sports clubs and photograph sporting events,' Ali explained.
On Sunday morning, he recalled telling Bayrami to be careful.
'He told me not to worry because it's safe during the day. 'Israel only attacks at night when people are asleep,' he said.'
Ali paused before adding, 'Ehsan was incredibly talented and hardworking. He never let anything stop him from working.'
*Ghazal, Saman and Ali preferred not to use their full names while speaking with Al Jazeera to protect their identities.
This article is published in collaboration with the news consortium Egab.