A heartbreaking tragedy struck an Iranian family in Kuwait when 11-year-old Elena Abdullah Hosseini was killed in her sleep during an Iranian drone attack. The girl, who lived with her family in a Kuwaiti apartment building, told her father “I love you” before going to bed — words that would become a final, haunting farewell.
A Night That Ended in Loss
Elena’s family had taken shelter in the building’s basement since Saturday, after Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the Gulf following U.S.-Israeli operations that decimated parts of its leadership. By Tuesday night, as bombardments appeared to ease, they decided to return to their second-floor apartment. Minutes later, debris from an Iranian drone struck the roof and crashed into Elena’s bedroom — killing her instantly while she slept.
She had been sharing the room with her younger sister, who sustained minor injuries. Their mother was unharmed.
“She Was a Blessing from God…”
Her father, Abdullah Hosseini — a textile business owner who had worked late that day — recounted their last conversation: “Elena called me about two hours before the incident and said, ‘Dad, I’ve eaten and I’m going to sleep… I love you.’”
Choking back tears, he added: “It was as if she was saying goodbye.”
Speaking at her funeral in Kuwait’s Sulaibikhat Cemetery, dressed in the traditional white Gulf attire, Hosseini expressed deep gratitude for the outpouring of sympathy from Kuwaitis. Hundreds attended the service. Some of Elena’s young friends wore white T-shirts bearing her photo. Her mother, overwhelmed with grief, was unable to speak.
Kuwait’s Iranian Community
Kuwait hosts one of the largest Iranian communities in the Gulf — part of a foreign resident population that makes up roughly 70% of the country’s total. Elena’s family were Sunni Muslims originally from southern Iran.
Emergency responders rushed Elena to the hospital, attempting resuscitation both in the ambulance and upon arrival — but she succumbed to her injuries.
“My daughter was kind, compassionate, and intelligent,” her father said, tears streaming down his face. “She was a blessing from God… and God chose to take her back.”
Wider Toll in the Gulf
Elena was among 13 people killed across the Gulf region since the escalation began. Eight of those fatalities occurred in Kuwait — the highest number in the area. Most victims were civilians.