Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani

Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani (18 December 2024 – 28 February 2026) was the 14-month-old daughter of Boshra Khamenei and Mohammad Javad Mohammadi Golpayegani, and a granddaughter of Ali Khamenei. She was reportedly killed during an airstrike on her family's residence in Tehran amid the United States and Israeli attacks on Iran. According to India Today, the image of her small coffin beside that of her grandfather became one of the defining images of Ali Khamenei's funeral.

Early life

Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani was born on 18 December 2024. She was the daughter of Boshra Khamenei and Mohammad Javad Mohammadi Golpayegani, and the granddaughter of Ali Khamenei and Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), her given name was chosen by Ali Khamenei, who also presented her with a handwritten copy of the Quran as a gift.

Her father later stated that she had been "the greatest source of joy and happiness" for Ali Khamenei, quoting him as saying, "God sent this child to me."

Media coverage

India Today described the image of Zahra's small coffin beside Ali Khamenei's coffin as the defining image of the funeral, calling it one of the ceremony's most memorable scenes.

Images of the coffin received widespread attention on social media and were covered by several international news outlets. Kerala Kaumudi published a feature on Zahra following the funeral, while The Daily Jagran described her death as emblematic of the human cost of the conflict and reported that her coffin bore the inscription "Peace be upon you, Ruqayyah".

Minute Mirror described the photograph of her coffin as "a photo that shook a nation", writing that it evoked a strong emotional response internationally. The Arabic-language broadcaster Al Mayadeen also published a feature titled "She Was an Angel": Zahraa Mohammadi Golpayegani's Story about her life and death.