Israeli woman mistakenly listed among casualties in Iranian crackdown

“I never thought this would happen to me in my life,” the misidentified woman said, “I’m in my house!”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

An Israeli woman was startled to find herself listed among the dead in reports about Iran’s protest crackdown after her photo appeared on television beneath a headline claiming four Jews had been killed in the unrest.

A woman falsely identified as a Jewish victim of the Iranian regime, Noya Zion, recorded a video from her home showing the broadcast and said in disbelief, “I never thought this would happen to me in my life… I’m in my house!” Her father responded on Facebook with humor, suggesting the confusion may have stemmed from a resemblance to actress Niv Sultan, who stars in the series Tehran.

“Maybe she looks like Niv Sultan, maybe Niv Sultan looks like her. Peace to both. In any case, our Noya wasn’t in Tehran last week,” he wrote, criticizing Channel 12 for airing the image.

The post circulating the photo also claimed that a woman named Sanaz Javaherian had been arrested for protesting freedom of expression, beaten for over an hour by the regime, and returned to her family after 13 days, her face unrecognizable.

The incident unfolded against the backdrop of widespread protests across Iran that began in late December 2025 and drew sharp international criticism over the government’s response.

Iranian authorities reported 3,117 deaths, including civilians and security personnel. Independent human rights groups and activists have placed the toll far higher, with some estimates reaching 36,000.

Reports from the most intense days of the crackdown allege that security forces opened fire on unarmed demonstrators while communication blackouts limited information leaving the country.