Image shared by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf (posted on X)
The attack reportedly killed at least 165 people, including students, and has not been independently verified as a deliberate strike on the school, with US and Israeli officials yet to formally claim responsibility while stating they are reviewing reports of civilian casualties.
In a social media post shared by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, he shared the image on soocial media calling the images placed on bagpacks along with roses his “companions on flight”. Iranian officials have also expressed scepticism about the talks, with Qalibaf reiterating on arrival that past negotiations with the US had “always been met with failure and breach of promise,” even as he said Tehran still had goodwill but “no trust. Pakistan has described the talks as a “make-or-break” moment, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warning that the outcome could determine whether the fragile pause in hostilities holds or collapses under competing demands. The school lay adjacent to a military complex that was hit, with conflicting accounts suggesting either collateral damage from strikes on the IRGC base or a targeting error, according to multiple media reports and satellite-based analyses. US media reports, including The New York Times, have pointed to American strikes on nearby naval facilities near the Strait of Hormuz as the likely context for the operation, while CBC News said satellite imagery and video analysis suggested the school was damaged in a precision strike on a military complex adjacent to the building.
The delegation, led by Qalibaf along with foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, is in Pakistan for crucial talks aimed at stabilising a fragile regional ceasefire framework. The group was received at the airport by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The symbolism came as Iran continues to push its conditions ahead of negotiations, including the release of frozen assets and broader ceasefire assurances in the region. A preliminary US military assessment, meanwhile, has reportedly raised the possibility of a targeting error during operations against IRGC-linked infrastructure.
A symbolic gesture, images of children killed in the Minab incident were placed on seats aboard an Iranian government flight to Islamabad on Friday, turning the journey of a high-level delegation into a stark visual statement ahead of key peace talks.