Iran takes belongings of murdered children to negotiations with the US

In a gesture full of symbolism, Iran took blood-stained school bags, children’s shoes, white flowers and photographs of children on the aircraft that transported its delegation to the ceasefire talks in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The images, released by Iranian embassies on social media, show the items arranged in the first row of the cabin during the flight.

A publication from the Iranian embassy accompanied the message: “The children of Minab are always with us.” The delegation was named “Minab 168”, a direct reference to the children who, according to Tehran, were killed in an air strike against a school in the south of the country.

The President of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who leads the negotiating team, published an image of the arrangement of objects on board, writing on social media: “My companions on this flight #Minab168”. The Iranian Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, replicated the images with the message: “We will never forget the children of Minab”.

The attack on Minab

Iranian authorities say more than 160 children were killed on February 28 when a school in Minab was hit in the early stages of the current conflict. Aerial images on social media, released by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, show mass graves with victims.

The location was a girls’ primary school that was said to have been “bombed in broad daylight, when it was full of students”. Araghchi classified the episode as a “crime” that “will not go unpunished”.

A preliminary investigation by the U.S. military indicated that outdated intelligence led the Americans to bomb the school. The February 28 attack reportedly killed more than 165 people, many of them children.

American denials and contested version

The United States has denied attacking any schools. US President Donald Trump has suggested that Iran itself could be responsible for the incident, arguing that Iranian strikes lack precision.

A report from The New York Timeshowever, mentioned the possibility of a targeting error involving a Tomahawk missile.

Negotiations in Islamabad

The Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad on Friday night (10) to participate in negotiations on a ceasefire proposal. The team includes Ghalibaf, Minister Araghchi and other senior officials who are expected to liaise with US representatives.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received the delegation at the airport, accompanied by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

In a statement, the Pakistani ministry said Dar expressed hope that the parties would engage constructively and reiterated Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating efforts towards a lasting and sustainable solution to the conflict.

The US team is expected to be led by Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. Discussions are expected to focus on Iran’s proposed ceasefire and possible paths to ending the ongoing conflict.

Talks for a definitive peace agreement began this Saturday (11) with Pakistani mediation, in one of the most delicate moments since the start of hostilities between the two countries.