World

Tehran Resident Loses 12 Family Members in US‑Israeli Attack

By Fatemeh Karimkhan

Hamed Mirzaei, a resident of Tehran, lost 12 relatives when a residential building in the city was struck by a US‑Israeli attack on March 9, 2026. The victims included his wife, 26‑year‑old Mohadeseh, who was planning to start a family with him, as well as his parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and several other extended family members. Mirzaei described the day of the bombing: he left home for work, received a message from his wife asking for headache medicine, and was only five minutes from home when a missile struck. The explosion shook the ground, and he could not reach his wife or other family members by phone. He later found the building reduced to a skeleton, with the structure burning and a staircase destroyed. Neighbours were trapped beneath rubble, and the Red Crescent rescued them, but no survivors were found. Mirzaei spent the following weeks repeatedly returning to the site, searching the debris for any sign of his loved ones, but found nothing. He has expressed profound grief and a sense of isolation, stating that he is the only surviving member of his family and that his life feels buried at the ruined site. The attack has left Mirzaei and his community devastated, with no survivors among the 12 family members who perished.