Latest news with #FereydounAbbasi
Middle East Eye
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Parnia Abbasi: Iranian poet killed by Israel whose bright future became a 'fading star'
'In a thousand places I come to an end I burn I become a fading star that disappears in your sky.' This short poem was written by Parnia Abbasi - a young woman who had yet to celebrate her 24th birthday before, on 13 June, an Israeli missile hit her home in the Sattarkhan neighborhood in western Tehran. Parnia was killed along with her father, her mother and her 16-year-old brother Parham. Parnia, a poet with no ties to any military institution in Iran, was a graduate of Qazvin International University, where she studied English translation. She was teaching English and had just started a job at Bank Melli. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters It was supposed to be a turning point - finally a stable path. 'She had a very gentle spirit. She always dreamed of becoming a great poet," said one of her friends, who asked to remain anonymous, speaking to Middle East Eye. "One of her biggest joys was reading poetry. I used to envy her for how many poems she knew by heart.' Following the news of her death, some pro-Israel users and opponents of the Iranian government falsely claimed that Parnia was the daughter of Fereydoun Abbasi, the former head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and had been killed alongside him. But it was later confirmed that she had no relation to Fereydoun Abbasi. Her father's name was Parviz - a retired Bank Melli employee. All four members of her small family died in the Israeli strike. The building's collapse made it difficult even to retrieve their bodies. The attack targeted Block 4 of a ten-unit apartment complex in Sattarkhan, destroying apartments from the third to fifth floors. It's believed that nearly all residents on those floors were killed. #ParniaAbbasi, a poet and English teacher, was killed in her sleep. It was the night of June 12, when her apartment on Sattar Khan Street in Tehran was struck by #Israeli attack.#Tehran #WarOnIran #Israel — Hana (@HanaNabavi) June 16, 2025 'Usually, people are either good at literature or math - not both. But she loved both. Literature and poetry were her passion, and we always saw her with a poetry book in hand," said one of Parnia's relatives, who also didn't want to be identified. "At the same time, because her father had worked in banking for many years, she also grew to like numbers and dreamed of working in a bank. In the end, she achieved that dream.' Another friend spoke about the day she got her job offer: 'That day, her eyes sparkled more than ever. She was overjoyed - finally a stable job. She had so many dreams. She loved to travel, wanted to see the world. But above all, she loved being in nature.' Blood-stained bedsheet A photo of Parnia's hair on a blood-soaked pink bedsheet went viral inside Iran and left many devastated. She quickly became a symbol of the toll that Israel's new bombing campaign has taken on the civilian population of Iran since it began last week. Despite earlier claims from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they were only targeting Iran's military infrastructure, the civilian death toll has climbed into the hundreds. Zahra Rahnavard, wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi and a prominent figure in the reformist Green Movement who remains under house arrest, mentioned Parnia by name in a statement on 17 June condemning Israel's attacks. 'Weren't they claiming the strikes are only on nuclear facilities? Then how did our dear Parnia become a victim?' - friend of Parnia 'Women are always the first civilian victims. From Parnia Abbasi, the young poet and translator, to dozens of others, women have lost their lives due to the aggression of Israel's woman-killing, child-killing regime," she said. Parnia's home was struck as part of an Israeli operation reportedly targeting a nuclear scientist who taught at Shahid Beheshti University. While he was believed to be the main target, other homes in the area, including Parnia's, were also destroyed. She was not the only young woman to be killed in the Israeli strikes on Iran. But the images of her - a vibrant poet with a bright future - captured public attention in a unique way. Like the poem she once wrote, she came to an end, burned out, and faded into the sky like a dying star. 'Weren't they saying they only target military personnel? Weren't they claiming the strikes are only on nuclear facilities? Then how did our dear Parnia become a victim?" asked one of her friends. "How does her death align with what Israel's supporters claim? Isn't this just the killing of innocent civilians?'
India.com
5 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
These six people took Iran's nuclear programme to next level with exceptional contribution until June 13 when..., they were...
New Delhi: Israeli jets destroyed many military and nuclear sites in Iran on June 13, 2025. Their main focus was on in and around Tehran and Natanz. This attack eliminated some of the most prolific names engaged in the Persian country's nuclear programme and the top brass of the military. However, a few names stand out due to the vital knowledge and expertise. They were the pioneers in Iran's nuclear project. They include Fereydoun Abbasi, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Motlabizadeh, Syed Amirhossein Feqhi, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari and Abdolhamid Minouchehr. These six scientists were on the radar of Israel's establishment. Let us try to figure out what their deaths mean to Iran. Abdolhamid Minouchehr: Abdolhamid Minouchehr was a nuclear physicist at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran and widely celebrated for his work on uranium enrichment. Minouchehr played a crucial part in advancing Iran's centrifuge systems at Natanz. It was due to his research that Iran could enrich uranium to 20% purity. Ahmadreza Zolfaghari: Ahmadreza Zolfaghari was also from Shahid Beheshti University. He specialised in the design and upkeep of advanced centrifuges. Ahmadreza Zolfaghari had worked with the teams at Natanz and Fordow. He and the teams at Natanz and Fordow pushed the limits of IR-8 technology, an Iranian model capable of enriching uranium at unprecedented speeds. Seyed Amirhossein Feqhi: Seyed Amirhossein Feqhi was a reactor design expert. Seyed Amirhossein Feqhi's work on the Arak heavy water reactor marked a key milestone in Iran's ambitions to produce plutonium. He was deeply involved in the safety architecture of nuclear facilities. Motlabizadeh: Motlabizadeh was an engineer and a senior leader within Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. He was closely linked to dual-use research straddling nuclear technology and ballistic missiles. According to multiple defense analysts, he played a role in developing the trigger mechanisms for nuclear weapons and that made him a prime target. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi: Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi was president of the Islamic Azad University. He was a physicist who played a vital role in bridging academic research with Iran's nuclear infrastructure, shaping young talent to sustain the country's nuclear programme over the next decade. Fereydoun Abbasi: Fereydoun Abbasi was a former chief of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran and a UN-sanctioned person for his alleged work on nuclear weaponisation. The killing of these professionals has hurt Iran's nuclear programme badly.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Photos Show Israel's Incredible Precision To Take Out Iran's High-Ranking Officials
Israel launched unprecedented strikes against Iran on Friday, targeting the country's nuclear programme and several military leaders and nuclear scientists. The attack, aided by coverst Mossad operations, incloved smuggled weapons and internal sabotage, crippling Iranian defences. Explosions rocked Tehran, Isfahan and Qom, resulting in significant damage and the death of high-ranking Iranian officials. However, what made the strikes unlike any in recent history was not the scale, but the surgical precision. The Israeli Air Force jets, guided by precise intelligence, targeted nuclear facilities, military commanders, and soldiers, destroying dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers. Image credit: Reuters The aftermath pictures of the Israeli air strikes against Iran show single apartments blown out of Tehran high-rises. Another photo shows a precise hole through the side of a building, again destroying just one apartment. Meanwhile, nearby buildings in the densely packed neighbourhood appear to be remarkably unaffected by the missile strike. A third picture shows just three floors bombed out, and the rest of the residence undisturbed. Image credit: Reuters One picture shows a bombed-out apartment in the Iranian high-rise, a residence supposedly known to be associated with Iranian Revolutionary Guard top brass. Image credit: Reuters The Iranian Air Force also released videos showing how the country struck Iran's air defence system in its western region with great precision. 🎯 The IAF continues striking dozens of surface-to-surface missile launchers in Iran. — Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) June 14, 2025 Another video showed Iranian Air Force fighter jets destroying ballistic missiles directly aimed at Israel. INCREDIBLE: Israeli Air Force fighter jets destroyed ballistic missiles aimed directly at Israel. 🇮🇱 Total precision. Zero hesitation. – IDF Spokesperson — Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) June 13, 2025 Israel's military said that the strikes had caused significant damage. Key Iranian commanders were killed, including the chief of staff of the armed forces and the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi, Ali Shamkhani, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and four others were also killed. The Jewish state also targeted numerous key locations of Iran's nuclear program in the Thursday onslaught, which continued late into Friday night. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli attack was launched to protect the country from Iran's threat. The operation was meant to stop serious threats from Iran, but it would take several days to do this, reported The Guardian. "We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile programme," he said. In retaliation, Iran launched 100 drones towards Israel, with the Israeli Military saying its air defences were intercepting them outside Israeli territory. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has warned Israel it faced a "bitter and painful" fate over the attacks.
LBCI
7 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Israel's attack on Iran kills six nuclear scientists
At least six nuclear scientists were killed Friday in Israel's attacks on Iran, local media reported. "Abdolhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feqhi, Motalleblizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi were the nuclear scientists martyred" in Israel's attack, Tasnim news agency said. AFP
Middle East Eye
7 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Jordan intercepts Iranian drones targeting Israel
The Jordanian military announced that it intercepted missiles and drones that entered its airspace, as sirens sounded in the kingdom following a major Israeli attack on Iran early on Friday. In a statement issued by the Jordanian Armed Forces, the military indicated that the interception came in response to fears that the drones launched by Iran in response to the Israeli attack could land in its territory. According to officials in Amman, Jordanian air defences were activated as a result of "military assessments that missiles and drones were likely to fall on Jordanian territory, including in populated areas, causing casualties." The statement further stressed that the armed forces are operating to "protect the nation's borders by land, sea, and air, and will not allow any violation of Jordanian airspace under any circumstances," urging citizens to refrain from spreading rumours that could "incite panic and chaos". Video footage shows air raid sirens going off in Jordan as Iranian drones entered the kingdom's airspace. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In the early hours of Friday morning, Israel launched a major attack on Iran, claiming it had taken the action because the Islamic Republic had begun to build nuclear warheads. Iranian media reported that explosions were reported in Natanz, the capital Tehran and elsewhere; and that the head of the Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, had been killed, as well as two scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi. Abbasi was the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation from 2011 to 2013, who survived an assassination attempt in 2010, whilst Tehranchi was a theoretical physicist. Both men appeared to have been targeted in their homes. Iranian state television also reported that children had been killed in at least one of the air strikes, on a residential area of Tehran. Nour News, reported several "loud explosions" in and around Tehran, adding that the country's air defence system was on full alert, and all flights at Imam Khomeini international airport had been suspended. In response, Iran fired more than 100 drones towards Israel at 06:00 BST on Friday. Israeli army spokesperson Effie Defrin said in a statement that "all [aerial] defence arrays have been operating to intercept the threats. "This is a different event to what we've experienced thus far, and we're expecting difficult hours," he added. Hamas condemns Israeli attack Hamas has strongly condemned the latest Israeli aggression on "sisterly" Iran after dozens of sites and senior officials were targeted in the Islamic Republic, a move that has spiked tensions in the region. A statement released by the movement describes the attacks as a "dangerous escalation", warning that it threatens to "destabilise the region". Iran fires more than 100 drones at Israel in retaliation for attacks on nuclear sites Read More » "This brutal aggression is a flagrant violation of international norms and conventions and reaffirms once again that the Zionist project poses an existential threat to the entire region, not just Palestine. "It targets all those who refuse to submit and insist on supporting the causes of the nation, foremost amongst them the Palestinian cause." Hamas expressed its full solidarity with Iran, offering its condolences for the killing of several commanders and scientists, including Major General Salami, and Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri. "Iran is paying today the price for its steadfast positions in support of Palestine and its resistance, and for its adherence to its independent national decision," the statement said, urging for a "unified stance from the nation and its vital forces in the face of this dangerous aggression. "The Zionist entity is the nation's central enemy, and the battle against it is a battle of destiny that requires unity of ranks and concerted efforts to protect our peoples from its crimes and expansionist plans."
