Abdul Wali
Abdul Wali was killed in an Israeli airstrike
Abdul Wali died as a result of injuries sustained during an Israeli airstrike on June 17, 2025, in north-east Tehran, Iran. The strike targeted a location near a military building, close to where Abdul was living and working at a civilian construction site. When the missiles hit, the building partially collapsed. Although Abdul initially survived the structural damage and was pulled from the debris, he suffered severe internal injuries. He was taken to a nearby hospital but died several hours later from the trauma. His death reflects the devastating impact of military actions on civilian areas and highlights the vulnerability of foreign workers who often live in insecure and high-risk environments with limited protection or recourse.
Biography
Abdul Wali was an 18-year-old Afghan migrant worker who had traveled to Iran on a work visa to support his family back in central Afghanistan. As the eldest son, he took on the role of the family’s primary breadwinner after his father became injured and unable to work. Despite once dreaming of going to university, Abdul gave up his aspirations to earn money and send it home. He was employed and living at a construction site in north-east Tehran, located near a military facility. Known for his dedication and sense of responsibility, Abdul was not involved in politics—he was simply a teenager trying to help his family survive. His life was tragically cut short when an Israeli airstrike struck the area on June 17, 2025. Though he survived the initial collapse of the building, he succumbed to his injuries hours later in a hospital. His death has deeply affected Afghan communities in Iran and beyond, highlighting the extreme risks faced by migrant workers caught in the crossfire of international conflict.
Abdul Wali was an 18-year-old Afghan teenager who had migrated to Iran on a work visa to help his struggling family in central Afghanistan. With his father injured and unable to work, Abdul became the family’s primary source of income. Though he had once hoped to attend university, he sacrificed his future to send money home.
He was employed on a construction site near a military building in north-east Tehran, where he also lived. His managers had assured him that the site was safe, describing it as a civilian area. Sadly, those assurances did not protect him.
Abdul had no political involvement; he was simply a hardworking youth trying to support his family. His father described him as “not a politician… just a teenager working hard.” He had many Afghan friends in Iran, and his death has shaken Afghan migrant communities both inside and outside the country.
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
Abdul Wali’s father, Abdul Ghani, shared his grief and anguish over the loss of his son, emphasizing that Abdul was not involved in politics or conflict — he was simply a teenager working hard to support his family back in Afghanistan. “He wasn’t a politician, he was just a teenager, working hard to support our family back home,” his father said. Injured and unable to work himself, Abdul Ghani had depended on his son’s income for survival. He spoke of Abdul’s abandoned dream of going to university, a dream he sacrificed to send money home.
The family is also facing the painful reality that Abdul’s body may not be returned to Afghanistan due to the ongoing conflict. “The body is still at the hospital. He may have to be buried in Iran, at least it’s an Islamic country,” his father added, expressing both sorrow and reluctant acceptance.
His death has caused alarm within the wider Afghan community in Iran. Many are now urging their loved ones to return to Afghanistan, even if it means facing poverty, out of fear that staying in Iran could cost them their lives.
Sources & References
“He wasn’t a politician—just a teenager working hard to support our family back home,” says Abdul Ghani, speaking about his 18-year-old son, Abdul Wali, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Iran. According to his father, Abdul had been living and working at a construction site in north-east Tehran, near a military installation, when the strike occurred on Tuesday. Although he initially survived the collapse of the building caused by the explosion, he died from his injuries a few hours later in a hospital. Abdul had entered Iran legally on a work visa and was the primary breadwinner for his family in central Afghanistan. “I’m injured and can’t work,” his father explained. “Abdul dreamed of going to university, but he gave up his future to send money back home.” His father said Abdul had relied on his supervisors’ advice, who assured him the site was safe, believing it to be a civilian area. Due to strict reporting restrictions within Iran, the BBC has not been able to independently verify the full details of the incident. However, a relative of Abdul Wali sent the BBC a video showing the aftermath of the attack—loud explosions echoing, smoke filling the air, and men fleeing the wreckage. In the footage, one man can be heard desperately calling out for Abdul, urging him to escape. Amid the ongoing conflict, Abdul’s family has come to terms with the likelihood that his body may not be returned to Afghanistan. “His body is still in the hospital,” his father said. “He may have to be buried in Iran—but at least it’s an Islamic country.”1 bbc.com Open source