  Photoabsorption by and fluorescence of the K{\alpha} transitions in highly
charged iron ions are essential mechanisms for X-ray radiation transfer in
astrophysical environments. We study photoabsorption due to the main K{\alpha}
transitions in highly charged iron ions from heliumlike to fluorinelike (Fe
24+...17+) using monochromatic X-rays around 6.6 keV at the PETRA III
synchrotron photon source. Natural linewidths were determined with hitherto
unattained accuracy. The observed transitions are of particular interest for
the understanding of photoexcited plasmas found in X-ray binaries and active
galactic nuclei.
