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that the elementary school misfire occurred because the Central Command (CENTCOM) generated coordinates based on outdated data provided by intelligence authorities.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