Iranian Boy, 13, Horrified by Missile Attack on First Day of War

The first day of a suspected US-led attack on Iran is remembered not through generals or strategy, but through the story of a 13-year-old boy named Mohammad Reza Barfar. Like most kids, he played soccer after school on February 28. He scored from a free kick, and his brother filmed it. He was happy. Hours later, explosions shook the city of Lamerd in southern Iran. Mohammad Reza had gone to his family's flower shop to rest. That is where the blast caught him.

Four pieces of metal tore into his body. The wounds crushed his right foot and left heel, and hurt his head and arm. Damage to a bone in his left leg now means he cannot walk and relies on a wheelchair. "This was the last time I touched the ball," he told reporters, still holding the video of his goal. His story shows how suddenly war can turn an ordinary, hopeful day into a lasting nightmare.

The attack on Lamerd, an industrial city, reportedly used missiles that scattered tungsten fragments — sharp metal meant to maximize harm. At least 21 people were killed. The United States has not confirmed details, and Iran accuses Washington of starting the war. Whatever the politics, the human cost is clear: children, families, and everyday places like a flower shop are not battlegrounds, but they are where the pain lands.

This report is not about advanced technology or military tactics. It is a reminder that headlines about conflicts quickly sound like distant facts. Yet for Mohammad Reza, the war began with a free kick he will never forget — and a life changed in seconds. His story asks every reader to measure the price of war not in numbers, but in lost childhoods and lost futures.