Iran’s ‘Minab168’ message lands in Delhi as BRICS talks begin
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting aboard an aircraft carrying a symbolic and politically charged message — “Minab168.” The inscription, prominently displayed on the fuselage, refers to the 168 schoolchildren Iran claims were killed in a US strike on a school in Minab on February 28, an incident that has become a powerful symbol of the civilian toll of the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Images released from Tehran showed Araghchi boarding the aircraft marked with the hashtag “#Minab168,” signalling Tehran’s intent to keep international attention focused on the humanitarian impact of the conflict even as diplomatic engagement continues through multilateral platforms like BRICS.
Araghchi’s visit comes at a sensitive moment for the region, with escalating tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel expected to dominate discussions at the two-day BRICS gathering in New Delhi. The Iranian minister is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, where issues such as regional stability, maritime security, energy supplies and connectivity are likely to feature prominently.
According to Iranian authorities, the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab, located in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, was struck during the opening day of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran on February 28. Tehran says the attack killed 168 children between the ages of 7 and 12, making it one of the deadliest incidents involving civilians in the conflict.
The incident drew international attention after UNICEF described it as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of war on civilians. The school’s proximity to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facility also raised questions over whether the strike was aimed at nearby military infrastructure. Reports later indicated that the Pentagon launched a higher-level investigation into the incident amid concerns that faulty or outdated intelligence may have contributed to the attack.
