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Blood-stained school bags on plane: Iran sends ‘Minab 168’ message to US ahead of Islamabad talks

Iranian officials say more than 160 children were killed on February 28 when a school in Minab was hit during the opening phase of the conflict.

3 min readApr 14, 2026 01:42 PM IST First published on: Apr 11, 2026 at 12:13 PM IST
Iran Team's MinabBlood-stained school bags, shoes, white flowers and photographs of children from Iran’s Minab. (Photo: X/@mb_ghalibaf)

Ahead of the peace talks in Islamabad, Iran sought to make a statement by putting blood-stained school bags, shoes, white flowers and photographs of children from Iran’s Minab on a flight to Pakistan. Iran embassies shared the video of the flight cabin, saying: “The Children of Minab are always with us.” The flight carried the Iranian delegation to Islamabad for talks with the United States.

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Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is leading the delegation, shared an image of the items and wrote: “My companions on this flight #Minab168.” The objects were arranged in the front row of the aircraft.

The delegation has been named “Minab 168”, referring to children Iran says were killed in strikes at a school in the southern town. Iran’s embassy in South Africa reshared the image, saying: “We will never forget the children of Minab, ever.”

What happened in Minab

Iranian officials say more than 160 children were killed on February 28 when a school in Minab was hit during the opening phase of the conflict. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi earlier shared an aerial image on social media showing what he described as mass graves for the victims.

He said: “The destroyed building is a primary school for girls… bombed in broad daylight when packed with young pupils.” He called the incident a “crime” that would not go unanswered.

The United States has denied targeting a school. US President Donald Trump said previously that Iran may have been responsible, adding that Iranian strikes lack precision.

A report by The New York Times cited a possible targeting error involving a Tomahawk missile, though the details remain contested and independently unverified.

Talks in Islamabad

The Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad on Saturday for negotiations over a proposed ceasefire.

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Alongside Ghalibaf, Araghchi and other officials are part of the team engaging with US representatives.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received the delegation at the airport along with senior government and military officials.

The US side is expected to be led by Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner.

The talks are aimed at discussing Iran’s proposed ceasefire terms and possible steps to end the conflict.

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