A committed pharmacist and a homesick blogger – the Iranian civilians killed in the war
Parastesh Dahaghin was a young pharmacist killed in an explosion while she was at work.
Berivan Molani was in bed when debris from an air strike in Tehran struck her head.
For more than three weeks, Tehran and other cities have been pummelled by US and Israeli airstrikes - with thousands of targets hit across the country.
And reports of civilian casualties from these strikes are not limited to adults. Eilmah Bilki, aged 3, reportedly died a day after being injured in the western town of Sardasht.
The toll on civilians is mounting fast. Most of their stories will never be told.
But through the thick, black smoke of war and an internet blackout, small fragments of information are getting out of Iran. And the names of a tiny fraction of the civilian casualties of the US-Israeli war on the country are beginning to emerge.
Parastesh Dahagain had been in her pharmacy in Tehran's Apadana neighbourhood when the nearby building of an IT company that reportedly played a role in Iran's internet shutdown was struck, according to the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center.
Video posted online shows a mourning ceremony for Parastesh - framed pictures of her nestled among candles and flowers.
Her brother Poorya wrote on Instagram that his sister was just doing her job when she was killed.
He said the family had told her that Tehran wasn't safe but she had replied: "People need me, people have been wounded."
She told him: "They come to the pharmacy, and elderly people need their medication. I have to stay here and help my people."
"You were so noble," he added, in tribute.
Less is known about 3-year old Eilmah Bilki - whose photo was provided to the BBC by the Kurdish human rights group, Hengaw. The group said she had been severely wounded in US-Israeli airstrikes in early March and died a day later.
Berivan Molani – a 26-year-old lifestyle blogger who ran an online clothes shop - was an only child who had returned to Tehran from the safety of northern Iran just the day before she died, because she missed home.
Her family say they had no idea that Iran's minister of intelligence, Esmail Khatib, lived opposite them on Makouyipour Street in Tehran's wealthy Zafaraniyeh neighbourhood, according to Razieh Janbaz, a friend, posting on Instagram.
Night-time footage released by the Iranian Red Crescent shows rescuers removing fallen masonry to try to reach Berivan's trapped mother as she begs to know: "Is my daughter alive?"
Berivan had already been pulled out of the rubble, but her crush injuries were fatal.
"She was killed in her bed, right before going to sleep, during the missile attack on March 17th," wrote Janbaz.
Several of Berivan's neighbours were killed in the Israeli airstrike that targeted Khatib last week, said Janbaz, a former member of Iran's handball team who went to the area after the attack and found that all that was left of her friend's life was a pair of trainers lying on the street.
"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," he said.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has so far recorded more than 1,400 civilian deaths, 15% of them children.
One of the deadliest single incidents was a missile strike on a primary school in the southern town of Minab at the start of the war.
Reports point to US responsibility as it targeted a nearby military base. The US military has not publicly admitted hitting the school, but says it is investigating.
Kurdish human rights group Hengaw has identified 48 children and 10 adults killed in the school.
Hengaw expressed "grave concern" over rising civilian casualties.
Iran does not report its own military losses. HRANA reports at least 1,167 military personnel have been killed since the war began.
During the war, many Iranians have been arrested for using the internet.
But even for human rights groups with strong contacts on the ground, gathering information on casualties is extremely hard.
Hengaw says Iranian border guards have been given orders to shoot people trying to use Iraqi phone and internet networks - which can sometimes be accessed close to the border between the two countries - as the regime tries to control both the population and the narrative of the war.
"It's a really heartbreaking situation for people," said Hengaw's Awyar Shekhi.
People are "terrified", he told the BBC.
"Earlier this year they were being killed on the streets by the Iranian government and now they risk being killed by the bombings."
There are government buildings in residential areas, he said, before adding that even a big city like Tehran has no civilian bomb shelters.
"It's dire."
Civilians paying 'alarming' price for war
The International Committee of the Red Cross says civilians are paying an "alarming" price for the war.
A Red Crescent worker, Hamidreza Jahanbakhsh, is among the dead, and several of its facilities have been damaged.
"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," said ICRC delegation head, Vincent Cassard.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now verified more than 20 attacks on health care facilities, with reports of many more. It says at least nine health workers have been killed.
It classifies any collateral damage as an attack.
"It's not for us to determine if a strike was aimed directly at that facility or a facility next to it," says 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."
"Any attack on health care is a breach of international law," he adds.
The US has previously said it does not target civilians and takes its obligations seriously.
The BBC has verified footage of several damaged hospitals, including the 17-story private Gandhi hospital in Tehran, close to the headquarters of the state broadcaster which was the target, a Red Crescent hospital in the town of Mahabad in western Iran, and a hospital in the southern port of Bushehr, from which babies in incubators were seen being evacuated on 3 March.
Just weeks after they tried to save the lives of injured protesters, doctors working in public hospitals are stretched and "extremely exhausted", according to Iranian surgeon Dr Hashim Moazenzadeh.
He is now based in France, but has been in touch with former colleagues in Tehran.
"The bombs being used are extremely large and we have a very high number of civilian casualties," he said.
Making an urgent plea, he added: "If you're bombing near places like hospitals, you have to prioritise their safety and protection."
Facts Only
Parastesh Dahaghin, a pharmacist, was killed in an explosion while working in Tehran's Apadana neighborhood.
Berivan Molani, a 26-year-old blogger, died from injuries sustained during an airstrike in Tehran's Zafaraniyeh neighborhood.
Eilmah Bilki, a three-year-old, died a day after being injured in US-Israeli airstrikes in Sardasht.
US and Israeli airstrikes have targeted Iran for over three weeks, hitting thousands of locations.
A primary school in Minab was struck, resulting in the deaths of 48 children and 10 adults.
The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center and Hengaw have reported over 1,400 civilian deaths, with 15% being children.
At least 1,167 military personnel have been killed since the war began.
Iranian border guards have been ordered to shoot people attempting to use Iraqi phone and internet networks.
The International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization have verified attacks on healthcare facilities and condemned violations of international humanitarian law.
The US has not publicly admitted to striking the school in Minab but is investigating.
Hospitals in Tehran, Mahabad, and Bushehr have been damaged, with footage showing evacuations of patients, including babies in incubators.
Iran does not report its own military losses, and human rights groups face challenges in gathering information due to internet blackouts and government restrictions.
Executive Summary
For over three weeks, US and Israeli airstrikes have targeted Iran, resulting in significant civilian casualties. Among the victims are Parastesh Dahaghin, a pharmacist killed in Tehran while working; Berivan Molani, a blogger fatally injured in her home during an airstrike; and Eilmah Bilki, a three-year-old who died from injuries sustained in Sardasht. The strikes have hit thousands of targets, including residential areas, hospitals, and a primary school in Minab, where 48 children and 10 adults were killed. Human rights groups report over 1,400 civilian deaths, with 15% being children, and at least 1,167 military personnel killed. The Iranian government has restricted internet access, arresting those who use it and ordering border guards to shoot people attempting to access foreign networks. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization have condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as violations of international humanitarian law. The US has denied targeting civilians but has not publicly acknowledged striking the school in Minab. Civilians face dire conditions, with no bomb shelters in major cities like Tehran, and medical workers are overwhelmed by the high number of casualties.
The situation is compounded by Iran's internal repression, with civilians caught between government crackdowns and foreign airstrikes. Human rights groups struggle to gather accurate information due to internet blackouts and government restrictions. The toll on civilians is mounting, with many stories remaining untold amid the chaos of war.
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative highlights the devastating human cost of the US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, emphasizing civilian casualties, attacks on healthcare facilities, and the Iranian government's repression of its own people. The article effectively humanizes the victims, providing personal stories that underscore the tragedy of war. It also raises critical questions about the legality and morality of targeting civilian infrastructure, citing international humanitarian law and the condemnations from organizations like the Red Cross and WHO.
However, the narrative could be vulnerable to emotional exploitation (ARC-0012) by focusing heavily on individual tragedies to evoke outrage, potentially overshadowing broader geopolitical contexts. The lack of direct attribution for some strikes—such as the school in Minab—could also be seen as a form of ambiguity (ARC-0024), leaving room for differing interpretations of responsibility. Additionally, the article does not explore the strategic or political motivations behind the airstrikes, which could be a missed opportunity for deeper analysis.
The root cause of this narrative appears to be a focus on the immediate human suffering caused by war, with an underlying assumption that civilian casualties are inherently unjustifiable. This echoes historical patterns of wartime reporting, where the emphasis on individual stories can shape public perception and influence policy debates. The implications for human agency and dignity are profound, as civilians are caught between external military actions and internal repression, with little recourse for protection or justice.
Key questions for further inquiry include: What are the strategic objectives of the US and Israeli airstrikes, and how do they justify the civilian toll? How does Iran's internal repression contribute to the broader conflict, and what role do human rights groups play in documenting these abuses? What would it take to shift the narrative from one of victimhood to one of accountability and solutions?
If this narrative were part of a coordinated influence campaign, the playbook might involve amplifying civilian suffering to undermine support for the airstrikes or to rally opposition against the Iranian government. However, the article does not appear to match this pattern, as it presents a balanced account of the situation without overt manipulation.
Sentinel — Human
The article shows strong human authorship signals, including emotional storytelling, specific attributions, and stylistic idiosyncrasies. No significant indicators of synthetic generation were detected.