Iran's delegation arrived in Islamabad on Saturday for ceasefire negotiations with the United States carrying images and belongings of 168 victims of the Minab school strike. The move turned a diplomatic mission into a public message before talks had even begun.
Photographs of the victims, most of them children, were placed on empty seats aboard the aircraft named "Minab 168". School bags and a flower were also placed beside the images. Pictures from inside the cabin spread rapidly on social media after departure.
The gesture placed the Minab strike at the centre of the negotiations and signalled that Tehran wants accountability alongside any ceasefire deal. The talks now carry both military and political stakes as the two sides meet in Pakistan.
Strike Row
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is leading the delegation, shared one image on X and wrote: "My companions on this flight."
همراهان من در این پرواز#Minab168 pic.twitter.com/xvXmDlSDiF
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 10, 2026
The Minab strike took place on February 28, the first day of the war, when American forces allegedly fired missiles at the Shajareh Tayyebeh school. The United States said the strike targeted a military installation near the school and added that it is investigating the matter.
Iran rejected that explanation and described the attack as deliberate and calculated. Tehran later released the names and images of two US Navy officers, the commander and executive officer of the USS Spruance, whom it blames for authorising the strike.
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Talks Begin
The issue has since been raised at the United Nations, which has called on Washington to complete its investigation and ensure accountability.
Ghalibaf's delegation includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, former IRGC commander Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati, among others.
The US team is led by Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.
High Stakes
Iran signalled caution despite agreeing to the meeting. "We have good intentions but we do not trust," Ghalibaf said on arrival, adding that earlier negotiations with the United States ended in "broken promises."
Tehran has demanded the lifting of the Lebanon ceasefire and the unfreezing of its assets as conditions for any agreement. It has warned it could walk away if those demands are not met.
President Donald Trump has threatened fresh strikes and said he would reopen the Strait of Hormuz "with or without Iran."
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