A Los Angeles dad grieving the loss of life of his teenage nephew in Iran says he obtained a private letter from President Donald Trump providing condolences — and a promise to face with the Iranian individuals.
Majid Moghadasi, an Iranian American residing in Woodland Hills, informed The Submit his nephew, Erfan Faraji, was killed on Jan. 8 throughout anti-government protests that rocked the Islamic Republic.
His loss of life, simply two days after his 18th birthday, got here because the regime killed as much as 36,500 in a January crackdown.
Estimates range from 7,000 to 36,000 killed within the regime’s January crackdown on the unrest.
Two days after studying of the teenager’s loss of life, Moghadasi stated he reached out on to the White Home, pleading for assist.
Moghadasi’s deeply private plea described how his nephew was fatally shot within the streets of Shahr-e Rey, south of Tehran, only for participating in protests.
“He was an harmless teenager with desires and a future forward of him. His solely act was standing up in opposition to injustice,” Moghadasi wrote, including that Iranian authorities had responded to demonstrations “not with dialogue, however with stay ammunition.”
He urged Trump to proceed taking a agency stand in opposition to the Iran.
Simply days in a while Jan. 13. Trump wrote again that he and First Woman have been “devastated” by the loss.
“Erfan shall be held in my coronary heart, and I promise by no means to neglect or forgive the horrible occasions that took him from us,” the letter reads.
“Please know that my Administration will at all times stand with the Iranian individuals of their quest for freedom and democracy.”
The president additionally vowed then that efforts have been underway then to carry Iran’s management accountable, writing that his administration was “working diligently to make sure that the Ayatollah and his murderous regime are delivered to justice.”
Moghadasi stated the household was grateful for the president’s sort phrases and stated he trusted the president’s m resolution making. As for the letter, he was overjoyed to learn it.
“Receiving the letter from President Trump was very emotional for me,” Moghadasi stated. “After I first learn his response, I felt that my voice — and extra importantly, the voice of my late nephew, Erfan Faraji, and lots of others—had lastly been heard. It gave me a way of acknowledgment and a little bit of reduction throughout a really troublesome time.”
He continued: “In fact, together with that feeling got here a way of hope—that justice for Erfan and different harmless younger individuals who misplaced their lives is not going to be forgotten. On the similar time, it additionally jogged my memory of the duty to proceed talking up and conserving their reminiscence alive.”
Regardless of the geopolitical uncertainty, his message to the president was one among gratitude, emotion — and hope.
“I want to thank Donald Trump for his consideration to those issues,” Moghadasi stated. “I hope that the choices being made will in the end result in peace, safety, and a greater future for the individuals of Iran.”
Erfan’s loss of life got here amid a wave of protests that erupted throughout Iran in late December 2025 and January 2026, fueled by financial turmoil and long-standing political grievances.
In response to Amnesty Worldwide, demonstrations that started with strikes in Tehran’s bazaars rapidly unfold nationwide and have been met with a violent response from safety forces.
Human Rights Watch reported that authorities escalated their crackdown round Jan. 8 – the identical day Faraji was killed — with forces allegedly utilizing stay ammunition in opposition to protesters, usually concentrating on the pinnacle and torso.
Loss of life toll estimates have reached into the 1000’s, with some experiences suggesting as many as 5,000 fatalities by mid-January, alongside mass arrests and widespread web shutdowns that obscured the complete scale of the violence.
For Moghadasi, the emotional toll has been compounded by uncertainty about his household’s security.
“Given the present scenario in Iran, a part of what has occurred has been emotionally important for us, however mentally we aren’t in an excellent place,” he informed the Submit. “On account of web shutdowns and communication disruptions, we have now no direct contact with our household in Iran. We really don’t know their situation or whether or not they’re protected.”
“This uncertainty is extraordinarily nerve-racking,” he added. “What I do know is that many individuals near us are deeply upset and are hoping for justice for Erfan.”
Within the weeks following his nephew’s loss of life, Moghadasi additionally posted a video tribute on-line titled in Farsi: “In reminiscence of Erfan Faraji and all of the courageous who sacrificed their lives for freedom.”
On 28 February 2026, Ali Khamenei, the supreme chief of Iran, was assassinated in Tehran as a part of a collection of Israeli airstrikes geared toward high-ranking Iranian officers. Khamenei’s loss of life was confirmed by the Iranian authorities on 1 March.
“After I first heard the information, I had a powerful emotional response,” Moghadasi stated. “Nonetheless, after sharing one thing on-line, I noticed it may put my household in danger, so I eliminated it.”
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