Iran went to Pakistan for talks with the United States with more than just peace in mind – they want the human cost of the war to be counted.
The Iranian delegation, led by spokesman Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is named “Minab 168” after the school children killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on the first day of the war.
The delegation to Islamabad was accompanied by blood-soaked school bags, shoes, white flowers and pictures of the Minab school victims.
In a post on social media, Ghalibaf shared a picture of himself looking at pictures of children and their belongings. He wrote: “My companions on this flight #Minab168”
An Iranian delegation is due to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at noon on Saturday ahead of high-stakes talks with the US dubbed the “Islamabad Talks”.
Iranian negotiators arrived in Islamabad late on Friday.
What happened in Minabu?
The strike on the first day of the war, on February 28, hit a school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, killing more than 160 children, according to authorities. The strike reportedly took place at Shajareh Tayyibeh School for Girls.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi shared an aerial photo on his social media profile showing mass graves being dug to bury “innocent” girls days after the alleged strike. In the same post, Araghchi criticized US President Donald Trump, calling the attack a “cold-blooded” murder.
“The destroyed building is a primary school for girls in the south of Iran. It was bombed in broad daylight when it was full of young students. Dozens of innocent children were murdered in this place alone. These crimes against the Iranian people will not go unanswered,” he wrote.
The US has repeatedly denied claims that it attacked the school in Minabu.
“We think Iran did it. Because they’re very inaccurate, you know, with their munitions. They don’t have any accuracy,” Trump once told reporters aboard Air Force One.
The preliminary conclusions of the US military investigation, reported by The New York Times, showed that the Tomahawk cruise missile hit the school due to an aiming error.
The US is the only country involved in the war that uses Tomahawk missiles.
Peace talks between the US and Iran
An American delegation led by Vice President JD Vance is also heading to Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials.
Both countries aim to promote a shaky ceasefire and pave the way for a permanent end to the fighting. This is the first such meeting since the beginning of the war more than a month ago.
A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire continues to hit obstacles as Israel and Hezbollah militants trade fire along the border with Lebanon and Iran has set conditions before talks can begin.
Qalibaf said on X that the discussion will only take place if there is an Israeli ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets.
Hours earlier, Trump wished Vance the best of luck, saying, “We’re going to find out what’s going on. They’re defeated militarily.”
Pakistan’s prime minister said the conflict was entering a “difficult phase” as the sides tried to move from a temporary lull in fighting to a more permanent settlement. He said they were at a “break or break” point.
