In the early hours of Friday, June 13, a missile attack by the Israeli regime on the Sarv Professors Residential Complex in Tehran claimed the life of Zahra (Najmeh) Shamsbakhsh — a young environmental athlete and civil society advocate. This harrowing incident once again laid bare the vulnerability of Iranian civilians and the deafening silence of self-proclaimed human rights defenders.

“A female hiker and cyclist martyred in Zionist regime’s missile strike” — this was the news that spread in the aftermath of that bloody Friday, as a 12-day war of aggression unfolded. But who was she? In the stillness of that dawn, a father’s heart began to race beneath the dust and rubble. Searching for his daughter through fire and ruins, he was eventually confronted with the most agonizing truth of his life — a truth that shattered more than one home; it weighed heavily on the collective heart of a nation.

No excuse, no justification: she was neither a soldier nor a scientist — just a devoted daughter of Iran

Zahra (Najmeh) Shamsbakhsh — a nature-loving, educated, and inspiring figure for the country’s youth — has now become a symbol of the defenselessness of families whose homes were reduced to rubble by an enemy’s vengeance. Her story exposes the bankruptcy of human rights rhetoric and shows how the flames of terrorism, indiscriminately and mercilessly, target even those who simply embrace life.

In the days following the Israeli regime’s missile attack on the Sarv Professors Complex, numerous reports surfaced. The building was where prominent Iranian physicist and academic Martyr Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi was killed, along with his wife, four security guards, and several neighbors. But today, we recount Najmeh’s story — a spirited young woman whose passion for cycling, mountaineering, and environmental exploration, along with her unwavering love for her country, had made her a beloved figure among youth. She lived in the Sarv Complex with her family.

Born in 1990 in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, Zahra Shamsbakhsh held a degree in computer engineering and worked with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology. She was a prominent figure in Iran’s environmental sports community, having climbed numerous peaks across the country. Friends and family described her as full of energy and enthusiasm for life.

After her martyrdom was confirmed, a wave of emotional reactions filled the social media platform X and other networks. One user wrote: “Najmeh was not just an athlete. She was the daughter of Iran’s nature — a soul who pedaled its roads with love.” Another said: “You have no excuse — she wasn’t a soldier, nor a scientist — she was simply a patriot.” And another: “For the Israeli regime, it makes no difference. If they can’t kill a scientist, they kill a nature lover. This is the logic of the rabid dog of the region.” These messages reflected the fury and sorrow among Iranians — a pain that continues to grow in the absence of accountability.

3:20 AM – The explosion that changed everything

“It was around 3:20 in the morning,” recalls Masoud Shamsbakhsh, Najmeh’s father and Deputy Minister of Science, “when I was jolted awake by the sound of an explosion and debris falling on me. I knew it was an attack. My wife initially thought it was an earthquake. I called out to her from beneath the rubble — she was covered but alive. I told her I’d help, but she said, ‘No, go find the children.’”

Their apartment, located on the sixth floor of the Sarv Professors Complex in Tehran’s Sa’adat Abad district, shared a wall with the apartment of Martyr Tehranchi. The explosion had reduced their home to rubble.

“I have two daughters — Maryam and Zahra, whom we called Najmeh at home,” Mr. Shamsbakhsh continues. “I found Maryam trapped under furniture. It was pitch dark. I cleared the debris and pulled her out — she had burns and injuries that we later confirmed at the hospital. Then I began searching for Najmeh…”

Searching for Najmeh: silence beneath the rubble

“There was no sound coming from Najmeh’s room. The walls were gone. I tried to locate her based on the building’s columns. I moved all the rubble and kept calling her name, but nothing was left of her room — no walls, no windows. Just ruins.”

Through flames and ashes

After helping his wife and younger daughter to the emergency staircase, Mr. Shamsbakhsh returned to the burning apartment. A fire had broken out due to a gas tank explosion. Firefighters were battling the blaze. His younger daughter was evacuated, but his wife refused to leave, worried about Najmeh.

“Authorities warned us repeatedly to evacuate the building, fearing it might collapse like the Plasco tower. But I couldn’t leave without Najmeh. I was convinced her body was still there — I wanted to take her with me.”

The heartbreaking confirmation

“Three hours later, around 6:30 a.m., they announced that a body had been found on the ground floor. The explosion had hurled everything — even Najmeh’s mattress — out of her room. Her body lay beneath it.”

“I asked the building manager to check. He came back and said: ‘Unfortunately, it’s Najmeh.’ That’s how I learned I had lost my daughter.”

Najmeh: a beacon of hope and life

Najmeh held a degree in IT and had worked with cultural and charitable institutions such as the Mousa Sadr Research Institute and the Dar al-Karam Foundation — the latter supporting children deprived of education. She also participated in religious sessions and youth outreach at the Andisheh Club.

A member of the “Salam Hamnavard” mountaineering group, Najmeh loved nature, hiking, and cycling. Her life was defined by vitality and a zest for adventure.

An indefensible crime: targeting civilians in their homes

“Striking residential buildings is a heinous and indefensible act,” her father states. “Even if someone is a scientist, they should not be targeted in their home. What was the crime of Tehranchi, Faqihi, Zolfaghari, Abbasi and others? They were scholars, teachers — people of knowledge.”

“In the Sarv Complex attack, 16 people, including Mr. Tehranchi and his wife, were martyred. What was their crime? Which authority in the world can justify such an atrocity?”

Israel’s nature: a regime built on massacres

“This regime is built on crimes like these — just like the attacks in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria in recent years. Despite the slogans of international organizations, no action has been taken. The death toll in Gaza has reached 60,000 — mostly women and children. These acts violate all principles of warfare.”

“Governments and organizations won’t act — it’s up to the people of the world to hear the truth. Media must show these crimes through photos and videos to awaken global consciousness. Sadly, many won’t even condemn these atrocities. It’s as if the world has gone deaf and blind.”

The Sarv Complex: now uninhabitable

The Sarv Professors Complex is no longer habitable. The 5th, 6th, and part of the 7th floors have been destroyed. Heating, gas, and electrical systems are gone. 48 families lived there. Authorities are now assessing whether to rebuild or demolish the structure entirely.

14 years of neighborly bond: remembering Martyr Tehranchi

“We lived next to the Tehranchi family for 14 years. They were devout, respectable people — we saw nothing but goodness from them. Their loss is a profound tragedy.”

“I hope such attacks never happen again, anywhere in the world. The responsibility now lies with the media — to amplify these voices and reveal the injustice. Because governments will not.”

(Source: Tasnim News Agency)