With end-of-war talks between the United States and Iran set to be held in Pakistan, Iran's delegation reportedly entered the negotiations carrying memorial photos of elementary school victims killed by a U.S. misstrike.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on the 10th (local time) posted photos on social media X of the inside of a private jet headed to Islamabad.
In the photos, memorial portraits of victims from Minab Elementary School, damaged schoolbags, and flowers were placed on seats, and Speaker Ghalibaf stood with his head bowed. He wrote, "The companions on this flight are Minab's 168."
According to the Iranian side, the disaster occurred on Feb. 28 in Minab, southern Iran. It claims U.S. and Israeli airstrikes damaged an elementary school, killing 168 children and 14 teachers.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also shared the same photos. Some view this as an attempt to underscore a hard-line stance against the United States ahead of the talks.
In an interview, Speaker Ghalibaf said, "We have goodwill, but we do not trust the United States," while adding, "If the United States is ready to make a sincere agreement, Iran can do so as well."
U.S. and Iranian negotiating teams will meet in Islamabad on the 11th to begin end-of-war talks. This is the first official face-to-face negotiation between the two sides.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the misstrike on the Iranian elementary school is underway. Last month, reports said preliminary U.S. military findings indicated the misstrike appeared to be due to an error in target designation by U.S. forces. The New York Times (NYT) reported on Mar. 11, citing U.S. officials and others, that the elementary school misstrike occurred because Central Command (CENTCOM) generated coordinates based on old data provided by intelligence authorities. Some also pointed to problems with artificial intelligence (AI) operating beyond human control.