Earlier on Friday, June 13, a missile attack by the Israeli regime on a housing complex by Professor SARV in Tehran claimed the life of Zafra (Najme) Shamsbahsh, a young environmental athlete and advocate for civil society. The tragic incident once again exposed the vulnerability of Iranian civilians and the deafening silence of self-proclaimed human rights defenders.
“Women hikers and cyclists marched in the missile strike of the Zionist regime” – the news that it spread in the aftermath of that bloody Friday as a 12-day war of attack unfolded. But who was she? In the tranquility of that dawn, his father’s heart began to run under the dust and tile blew. Looking for his daughter through fire and ruins, he ultimately faces the most painful truth of his life – the truth that shattered multiple homes. It weighed heavily on the collective centre of the nation.
There is no excuse or justification: she was neither a soldier nor a scientist – just an Iranian devoted daughter
Zahra (Najmeh) Shamsbakhsh – a man of nature-loving, educated, and inspiring to the young people of the country – has become a symbol of the vulnerability of a family whose homes have been reduced to tiled rubs by the enemy’s revenge. Her story reveals the bankruptcy of human rights rhetoric and shows how the fires of terrorism target even those who simply accept life.
Many reports surfaced in the days following the missile attack on the Israeli regime’s SARV professor’s complex. The building was killed by renowned Iranian physicist, scholar and scholar Mohammad Mahdi Tehransh, and his wife, four guards and several neighbors. But today we tell the story of Najime. A lively young woman who, with her passion for cycling, mountain climbing, and environmental exploration, and her unwavering love for her country, has made her a beloved figure among young people. She lived with her family in the SARV complex.
Born in the southwest city of Ahvaz in 1990, Zafrashamsbahsh received a degree in computer engineering and worked with the Vice President of Science and Technology. She is a prominent figure in Iran’s environmental sports community and has climbed numerous peaks across the country. Friends and family described her as full of energy and enthusiasm for life.
After her martialism was confirmed, a wave of emotional responses filled social media platform X and other networks. One user wrote: “Nazimé was not just an athlete. She was a daughter of Iranian nature. Another said: “You have no excuses – she was neither a soldier nor a scientist – she was simply a patriot.” And another: “For the Israeli regime, it doesn’t make a difference. If you can’t kill a scientist, they kill nature lovers. This is the logic of a rabies dog in the region.” These messages reflected the anger and sadness among the Iranians. This is a pain that will continue to grow without accountability.
3:20am – Explosion that changed everything
“It was around 3:20 in the morning,” recalls Massoud Shamsbahsh, Najime’s father and vice minister of science. Children. ‘”
Their apartment was located on the sixth floor of the SARV Professors’ Families in Tehran’s Sa’adat Abad district and shared the apartment and walls of Martyr Tehranchi. The explosion reduced their home to tile rubs.
“We have two daughters, Mariam and Zara, who called Najime at home,” continues Shamsbahsh. “I found Mariam trapped under the furniture. It was dark and thin. I cleaned up the pieces and pulled her out. She was burned and injured afterwards in the hospital. Then I began looking for Najime…”
Find Najmeh: Silence under the tile rub
“There was no sound from Najime’s room. The walls were gone. I tried to find her based on the pillars of the building. I kept moving all the tiled rubs and calling her name, but there was nothing left in her room. There was no wall.
Through flames and ashes
After helping his wife and daughter on the emergency stairs, Shamsbahsh returned to his burning apartment. A fire broke out due to a gas tank explosion. Firefighters were fighting the flames. His young daughter was evacuated, but his wife refused to leave because she was worried about Najime.
“The authorities repeatedly warned the building to be evacuated, fearing it would collapse like a Plasco tower. However, I could not leave without Najime. I was sure her body was still there.
A heartbreaking confirmation
“Three hours later, around 6:30am, they announced that their body had been found on the ground floor. The explosion threw everything (even Najime’s mattress) from her room. Her body was below it.”
“I asked the building manager to check on him. He came back and said, ‘Unfortunately, it’s Najime.’ That’s how I learned that I had lost my daughter. ”
Najmeh: Beacons of Hope and Life
Najmeh received his degree and worked with cultural and charities such as the Mousa Sadr Research Institute and the Dar Al-Karam Foundation. She also participated in religious sessions and youth outreach at Andisheh Club.
A member of the “Salam Hamnavad” climbing group, Najime loved nature, hiking and cycling. Her life was defined by vitality and enthusiasm for adventure.
Unprotectable crime: Targeting civilians at home
“A striking residential building is a vicious and irrefutable act,” her father said. “Even if someone is a scientist, they should not be targeted in their homes. What were the crimes of Tehransi, Fakihi, Zolfahari, Abbasi, etc.? They were scholars, teachers – people of knowledge.”
“In the SARV composite attack, 16 people, including Mr. Tehranchi and his wife, were martyred. What was their crime? Which authority in the world can justify such atrocities?”
The nature of Israel: a regime based on genocide
“The regime is based on such crimes, like the recent attacks in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Despite the slogans of international organizations, no action has been taken. The victims of the deaths in Gaza have mainly reached women and children.
“Governments and organizations don’t act. It’s up to the people of the world to hear the truth. The media must show these crimes through photographs and videos to awaken the consciousness of the world. Sadly, many don’t even condemn these atrocities.
SARV Complex: Currently unresided
The SARV Professor Complex is no longer habitable. The fifth, sixth floor and some of the seventh floors have been destroyed. The heating, gas and electrical systems are gone. 48 families lived there. Authorities are currently assessing whether the structure will be completely rebuilt or destroyed.
Neighbor Bonds in Year 14: Reminiscing Martian Tehrenkan
“We lived next to our family in Tehransi for 14 years. They were respectable and respectable people.
“I hope that attacks like this will never happen again anywhere in the world. The responsibility is now in the media. It is to amplify these voices and reveal injustice, because the government won’t.”
(Source: Tasnim News Agency)