Iranian poet Parnia Abbasi, 23, among civilians killed in Israeli missile strike

Israel Missile Strikes Iran Update: Parnia Abbasi, a 23-year-old poet and a graduate in English, was killed alongside her parents and younger brother when an Israeli missile struck their apartment building in Tehran last week on Friday, according to The New York Times and The Washington Post. The Abbasi family had moved just six months ago into a new three-bedroom apartment in the Orkideh Complex on Sattarkhan Street — a long-awaited dream that ended in rubble.Parnia Abbasi was set to turn 24 next week.
According to relatives, the missile hit the centre of the building, causing the structure to collapse. “They had bought this house under great financial pressure so that the children could have their own rooms,” said a relative, Hassan. “The love between this family was the envy of everyone. They were always together.”
‘I become a silent star’
Abbasi had graduated from Qazvin University with a degree in English and was working at the National Bank of Iran, where her mother had also spent her career before retiring. A writer and translator, Abbasi had recently passed Iran’s competitive graduate entrance exam in management but chose to delay her studies to continue working.
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“I looked at all my life events as stories I could write,” The New York Times quoted her saying during a poetry panel for young writers. Her friend Maryam, who was supposed to meet her that morning, said through tears, “She was everything — a poet, a teacher, a daughter.”
One of Abbasi’s last poems, recalled Maryam and reported Tehran Times, reads like:
“I burn,I fade,I become a silent star,That turns into smokeIn your sky…”
Broader human cost
The missile strike that destroyed the Orkideh Complex is part of Israel’s ongoing offensive targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. While Israel inss it does not target civilians, The New York Times reported that hundreds of non-combatants have died in the violence. Abbasi’s 14-year-old brother, Parham, a student, was among the dead.
Their bodies were pulled from the rubble soon after the strike, while their parents’ remains were recovered hours later. The building’s Block 4, which had 10 apartments, saw complete destruction from floors three to five. “It seems everyone in those units is gone,” Maryam said.
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The New York Times also reported that an 8-year-old girl, a national equestrian champion, and a graphic designer who worked with National Geographic are among those killed in recent Israeli strikes.

As the war enters its second week, the Iranian Minry of Health has yet to release updated casualty figures. According to AP, Israel’s air campaign has targeted several nuclear and military sites, killing senior generals and nuclear scients. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group reported that at least 639 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians, and over 1,300 injured. In retaliation, Iran has launched around 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds.
(With inputs from The New York Times, The Washington post, Tehran Times, AP)