Ali Hatef Fard: A Truck Driver Practicing Justice in Everyday Life

On the morning of June 13, 2025, when an Israeli drone strike targeted an IRGC vehicle near Asadabad, overturning it in a remote area, Ali rushed to the scene with his crane truck to help with relief efforts. As he tried to tow the damaged vehicle to safety, a second drone turned back. This time, the missile hit his own truck. Ali Hatef Fard was killed instantly.

Born in the rugged hills of Asadabad, Hamedan Province, Ali Hatef Fard was a man with deep roots in the working class and a firm advocate for its rights. A truck driver, union leader, and civic voice in the political life of his city, Ali stood at the intersection of work and leadership for truckers’ union groups. As the head of the truck drivers’ union in Asadabad and a board member of the Federation of Provincial Unions, he was known throughout Iran’s transportation sector as a tireless advocate for drivers’ rights—always negotiating calmly and never backing down.

His death sent shockwaves across the country, not only because he was the face of a vital sector in the region, but also because he died doing what he always did: showing up at crucial times. His friends remember his principled calm during recent labor protests, his insistence on justice, and say they learned from him how to work tirelessly. Ali’s death is a reminder to those who saw him driving or helping build streets and bridges. His people will remember him in these images: a working-class volunteer for whom union protests and efforts to help others were an essential part of life.