An Iranian student, Mooné Rahimi, who earlier went viral for posting a dance video in support of US airstrikes on Iran, has now said that her cousin was killed during the ongoing conflict.
Rahimi, who is currently based in the United States, shared an emotional message online, expressing grief as the war continues to impact families across Iran.
“This war has taken someone from my own family,” she said, adding that the violence has deeply affected her despite living abroad.
In a social media post, Rahimi described the pain of watching the situation from afar. “I thought I would finally be happy if I moved to a great country like the USA, but it didn’t happen because I’m watching my hometown getting ruined and my sisters and brothers getting murdered,” she wrote.
She added, “Every night, one of us dies, and the whole world ignores us.”
“Thousands of innocent people, including children, orphans, and pregnant women, are dying,” she said, blaming the continued violence on the survival of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ideology.
Heavy Civilian Toll and Displacement
The conflict, which began after US-Israeli strikes on February 28, has reportedly killed more than 1,500 people in Iran so far. Alongside the deaths, the war has triggered a growing humanitarian crisis.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, around 3.2 million people, which is more than three percent of Iran’s population, have already been displaced within the country.
With the conflict continuing for weeks, aid agencies and neighbouring countries are preparing for a possible refugee crisis as civilians begin to flee the violence.
Earlier Posts Praising Trump Draw Criticism
Rahimi had earlier gained attention for a video in which she expressed support for US strikes and thanked Donald Trump.
In that post, she introduced herself as an Iranian student pursuing a PhD in engineering in the US and said she was “grateful for the freedom” there. “Thank you, America. Thank you, President Trump,” she wrote.
The video quickly went viral and drew mixed reactions online.
Social Media Backlash Intensifies
After her recent statement about her cousin’s death, Rahimi faced strong criticism on social media, with many accusing her of supporting actions that contributed to the violence.
One user wrote, “You have the blood of your cousin on your hands,” while another claimed that she appeared “happy” when earlier strikes reportedly killed schoolchildren.
Another comment said, “You supported strikes on your own country, and now your own family is affected.”
