The arrival of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf at the Memorandum of Understanding talks in Geneva was accompanied by a powerful symbolic operation. Photographs and school backpacks belonging to the girls killed in the tragic attack on the school in Minab had been placed inside the aircraft used by the Iranian delegation. The images, widely circulated by media outlets close to the regime, quickly spread around the world.
No one can remain indifferent to the death of children.
Those girls deserve truth, justice, and a full investigation.
But precisely because the life of a child has no nationality or political affiliation, it is impossible not to notice the enormous hypocrisy behind this propaganda operation.
The Victims Tehran Remembers and the Victims It Prefers to Forget
For the propaganda apparatus of the Islamic Republic, there are first-class children and second-class children.
There are the children of Minab, displayed as symbols of Iranian suffering.
And then there are the children killed by the regime itself.
There are the minors killed during internal crackdowns.
There are the child soldiers recruited and used by the Houthis.
There are the Israeli children murdered and abducted by Hamas on October 7.
There are the civilian victims caused by the Shiite proxy groups supported by Tehran.
None of their photographs appeared on Ghalibaf’s plane.
No backpacks.
No tears.
No outrage.
Because, apparently, those lives do not serve the narrative.
The Shadows Surrounding the Minab Tragedy
The destruction of the school in Minab was an immense tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 150 people, according to Iranian authorities. The United Nations and UNESCO called for an independent investigation, describing the attack as a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
Yet one aspect of the case makes the tragedy even more troubling.
Several investigations and independent reports have pointed out that the school was located near an active Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facility identified as a missile-related site. The presence of this military infrastructure has complicated efforts to reconstruct exactly what happened.
Satellite imagery and journalistic investigations have also highlighted the close proximity between the school and the military installation.
Why Were the Children Not Evacuated?
It is an uncomfortable question.
But it is a question that any serious investigation should address.
If Iranian authorities knew that the area contained a military target, why were preventive evacuation measures not taken?
Why was a school allowed to continue operating next to a Revolutionary Guard installation?
Why were hundreds of girls left attending classes in a location that, in the event of war, would inevitably become a potential target?
These questions deserve answers.
And so far, they are questions that Tehran’s propaganda machine appears eager to avoid.
The Culture of Martyrdom and the Political Value of Victims
For decades, the Islamic Republic has built part of its legitimacy around the concept of martyrdom.
The glorification of sacrifice and death as tools of ideological mobilization has been one of the pillars of the system established in 1979.
For this reason, some observers have raised disturbing questions:
Could the desire to turn the Minab tragedy into a massive propaganda tool have prevailed over the imperative to protect civilians beforehand?
At present, there is no conclusive evidence that would allow such a conclusion.
It would be irresponsible to turn suspicion into certainty.
But it would be equally irresponsible to prevent this possibility from being investigated.
Waiting for International Investigations
The material responsibility for the attack remains under investigation.
It will be up to international bodies and independent inquiries to reconstruct the full chain of events.
But one fact is already clear.
If the Islamic Republic truly wishes to honor the memory of the girls of Minab, it should have the courage to recognize that all children have the same value.
Including those killed by the regime.
Including those killed by its proxies.
Including those whose suffering is politically inconvenient.
Because grief cannot be selective.
And the memory of children should never become a political weapon.
Every child deserves the same dignity.
Every child deserves the same compassion.
And no government, ideology, or propaganda machine should be allowed to decide which children are worthy of being remembered and which are to be forgotten.
Sources and References
Photos of the Minab School Victims on Ghalibaf’s Plane
- Anadolu Agency – Photos of children killed in Minab attack placed on seats during Ghalibaf’s flight
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/pg/photo-gallery/photos-of-children-killed-in-minab-attack-are-put-on-the-seats-during-ghalibafs-flight-to-islamabad/159798
UN and International Calls for an Independent Investigation
- United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) – UN experts strongly condemn deadly missile strike on girls’ school in Iran and call for an independent investigation
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/03/un-experts-strongly-condemn-deadly-missile-strike-girls-school-iran-call - United Nations Geneva – Deadly bombing of Iranian primary school a grave violation of humanitarian law
https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2026/03/116341/deadly-bombing-iran-primary-school-grave-violation-humanitarian-law
Investigations into the Minab School Strike
- Reuters – US probe into strike on Iran girls’ school near conclusion, US admiral says
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-probe-into-strike-iran-girls-school-near-conclusion-us-admiral-says-2026-05-19/ - Reuters – Trump says nobody attacked Iran girls’ school on purpose
https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-nobody-attacked-iran-girls-school-on-purpose-2026-06-17/ - ABC Australia – Reports raise questions over strike on Iranian girls’ school
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-12/us-behind-iran-girls-school-strike-media-reports/106444554 - The Guardian – How the Minab school bombing unfolded: a visual guide
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/mar/03/minab-school-bombing-how-the-worst-mass-casualty-event-of-the-iran-war-unfolded-a-visual-guide
Children Killed by the Iranian Regime During Protests
Amnesty International
- Iran: At least 23 children killed with impunity during brutal crackdown on youthful protests
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/10/iran-at-least-23-children-killed-with-impunity-during-brutal-crackdown-on-youthful-protests/ - Killings of children during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/6104/2022/en/
Iran Human Rights
- One Year Protest Report: 551 killed, including 68 children
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/6200/
Center for Human Rights in Iran
- Over 200 schoolchildren killed by security forces
https://iranhumanrights.org/2026/02/over-200-schoolchildren-killed-by-security-forces-in-iran-theyve-effectively-massacred-an-entire-school/
Child Recruitment by the IRGC
- Iran International – Children as young as 12 can join war support, IRGC says
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603265637 - Iran International – Iran child recruitment amounts to war crime, Amnesty says
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604032741
Hamas and the October 7 Attack
Human Rights Watch
- October 7 Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes by Hamas-led Groups
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/17/october-7-crimes-against-humanity-war-crimes-hamas-led-groups - Questions and Answers: Hamas-led armed groups’ October 7 assault on Israel
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/17/questions-and-answers-hamas-led-armed-groups-october-7-2023-assault-israel - Videos of Hamas-led attacks verified
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/18/israel/palestine-videos-hamas-led-attacks-verified - Building the evidence for crimes committed on October 7
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/01/31/interview-building-evidence-crimes-committed-israel-october-7
Palestinian Children and the Use of Civilian Infrastructure by Hamas
- Human Rights Watch – I Can’t Erase All the Blood from My Mind
https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/07/17/i-cant-erase-all-the-blood-from-my-mind/palestinian-armed-groups-october-7
Children in Gaza
- Human Rights Watch – Israel/Gaza Hostilities Take Horrific Toll on Children
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/22/israel/gaza-hostilities-take-horrific-toll-children - Human Rights Watch – World Report 2025: Israel and Palestine
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/israel-and-palestine
Child Soldiers Recruited by the Houthis
- Amnesty International Netherlands – Yemen: Huthi forces recruiting child soldiers for frontline combat
https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/yemen-huthi-forces-recruiting-child-soldiers-for-front-line-combat
Children and Armed Conflict in Syria
- UNICEF – Children and Armed Conflict in Syria
https://www.unicef.org/syria/media/19941/file/Syria-Children-and-armed-conflict-UNSG-annual-report-summary-report-2025.pdf
Children and Armed Groups in Iraq
- European Union Agency for Asylum – Child recruitment by armed groups in Iraq
https://www.euaa.europa.eu/country-origin-information-report/271-child-recruitment-armed-groups
United Nations Report on Children in Armed Conflict
- Associated Press – UN reports record violations against children in conflict zones
https://apnews.com/article/c7a930749ceb5c072ba76f458a00f03a
These sources include reports from the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UNICEF, Reuters, and other organizations documenting the deaths of children caused by the Iranian regime and by armed groups supported by Tehran, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Shiite militias operating throughout the Middle East.
