Parnia Abbasi

Their life

Parnia Abbasi was a 23-year-old Iranian poet, English teacher, and cultural enthusiast who was tragically killed in an Israeli airstrike on June 13, 2025, just days before her 24th birthday. She lived in the Sattarkhan neighborhood of Tehran and was widely regarded as a rising voice among Iran’s new generation of poets.

Parnia Abbasi was born in Tehran, Iran, and came of age during a period of intense cultural and political tension in the region. Gifted with a natural talent for words, she developed a passion for poetry early in life and became known for her introspective, poignant writing that explored the emotional terrain of youth, identity, and impermanence. Her most recognized work, The Extinguished Star, reflects her lyrical depth and emotional honesty.

Outside of writing, Parnia taught English and was admired for her bright spirit and generosity. Friends remembered her as an adventurous and deeply empathetic person—someone who took them camping for the first time, danced playfully for the camera, and shared thoughtful gifts. She loved sunflowers, trying new foods, learning Italian, and dreamed of seeing the band Coldplay in concert. One of her proudest achievements was summiting Iran's highest peak, Mount Damavand, a feat she joyfully shared with everyone she met.

Parnia often described her life experiences as potential verses, saying she viewed everything that happened to her as something she could one day express through poetry. Her voice was silenced in the June 13 airstrike that also killed her parents, Parviz Abbasi and Masoumeh Shahriari, and her teenage brother, Parham. Her death resonated deeply with antiwar advocates and artists across the globe, who mourned not only the loss of her life but the promise of her growing literary legacy.

How they died

Parnia Abbasi was killed in her home in the Sattarkhan neighborhood of Tehran, Iran, when Israeli missiles struck the residential complex in the Orchideh Complex on Sattarkhan Street, during the airstrike on June 13, 2025

Parnia Abbasi, 23, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on June 13, 2025, that struck a residential building in the Sattarkhan neighborhood of Tehran, Iran. The bombing occurred during the first wave of Israel’s U.S.-backed military offensive on Iran. Parnia was at home, asleep with her family, when the missile hit their building without warning. The strike caused the total collapse of their apartment, instantly killing Parnia along with her parents and younger brother. The blast inflicted fatal trauma from both the explosive impact and the resulting debris, making survival impossible.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Parnia Abbasi, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources