The image, captured during the savage Israeli attacks against civilian neighborhoods during the 12-Day War, symbolizes the civilian toll of the brief but intense hostilities that began with Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13.
Iranian media and rights groups described the child as a martyr killed in the attack, which targeted areas in the capital and resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths across the 12-day period.
The AP's annual compilation, released on Sunday, highlights global events through the lens of its photographers, encompassing conflicts, natural disasters, and moments of human resilience.
In the photo's caption, AP noted: "A photo of a child lies amid rubble after an Israeli strike on June 25, 2025, in Tehran, Iran."
Separately, the collection also features images from the same conflict, including illegal Israeli settlers sheltering during Iran’s retaliatory missile barrages in Haifa after an strike on June 22.
The 12-Day War ended with a ceasefire on June 24, after Iran retaliated with missile volleys that forced the Israeli regime into ceasing attacks.
Israeli casualty figures remain disputed because of the regime’s long history of strictly concealing losses, with Iran reporting over 1,000 deaths, including many civilians.
AP editors described the 2025 selections as capturing "the frenzied and the quiet, the bloody and the contemplative," underscoring the role of photojournalism in preserving indelible glimpses of history.