Fallen Hero Ilya Dehghani; Dad, don't worry, I love you.
Death Ilia Dehghani Sanij 19 years old in Iran Tehran Tehranpars
Written by: Mehrshid
“Dad?” “Yes, son?” “Don’t worry, I love you…” These were the last words Ilya spoke to his father from his hospital bed—a line that would later be carved onto his gravestone and shared endlessly across social media. Ilya Dehqani Sanij, born on 26 July 2006 (4 Mordad 1385), was a 19-year-old youth from Tehranpars. He had recently completed a specialized course in barbering and was preparing to enter the job market. Raised in a family of four alongside his father, mother, and only sister, he is remembered by those close to him as a kind-hearted, family-oriented young man who looked to the future with hope. Just a few hours before that conversation, the streets of Tehranpars were filled with crowds answering Prince Reza Pahlavi’s call to join the protests. On the nights of 8 and 9 January 2026 (18 and 19 Dey), this area was one of the main epicenters of demonstration in Tehran—a place where the security forces of the Islamic Republic turned to live ammunition to suppress protesters, turning those two nights into some of the bloodiest of the protests in Tehran. On the evening of 9 January 2026 (19 Dey 1404), while among that crowd, Ilya was hit by a live round fired by a sniper. The bul…
ایلیا دهقانی سانیج · ایلیا دهقانی · تهرانپارس · تهران
