Introduction
The Embassy of Iran in Nigeria has called for truth, accountability and justice over the reported deaths of 168 children in a missile strike on a school in Minab, an attack it attributes to US forces. The appeal came in a statement issued on Friday, exactly 168 days after the reported start of the conflict.
The embassy's appeal
In its statement, the embassy said the period since the war began had been characterised by "uncertainty, loss, destruction, disruption and grief" for families affected by the conflict. It urged the international community to pay greater attention to the humanitarian consequences, arguing that the impact extended beyond immediate destruction and casualty figures.
The embassy highlighted the reported deaths of 168 children in the strike on Shajareh Teybeh School in Minab, describing the incident as an illustration of the wider human cost of the fighting. "Behind each of those 168 children was a life: a name, a family, a dream, a future and countless moments that would never have the chance to unfold," the statement said, as reported by Daily Trust.
Allegations and responsibility
The embassy alleged that the school was struck by US missiles. It said questions remained over who authorised the attack, what intelligence was used in identifying the target, and how a school became the site of a military strike. According to the embassy, the United States has not formally accepted responsibility for the attack, despite what Iran described as evidence linking the strike to US forces.
Punch Newspapers, in a piece written by the Iranian ambassador to Nigeria, Raja, asserted that multiple investigations and bodies, including major international media organisations, human rights researchers, and international assessments, had identified US forces as responsible. The article cited evidence concerning the type of missile, the location of the impact, the pattern of strikes, and the presence and operations of US forces in the area as providing a clear picture of the attack's origin. However, it noted that the United States had still not formally accepted responsibility.
A call for equal value of lives
The embassy stressed that the lives of children should be valued equally, regardless of nationality. "The life of an Iranian child is no less valuable than the life of an American, European or any other child in the world," the statement said, as quoted by Daily Post Nigeria and Daily Trust.
The embassy warned against the normalisation of civilian suffering through continuous exposure to casualty figures and brief reports of attacks. It said the 168-day mark should serve as a reminder that every casualty represented an individual life and a family affected by the conflict, according to Daily Trust.
Call for international action
The embassy called on the international community to uphold international humanitarian law and ensure that attacks on civilians, especially children and schools, are properly investigated. It urged continued attention to the humanitarian dimension of the conflict and called for "truth, accountability and justice," as reported by Daily Post Nigeria.
Conclusion
At the time of the embassy's statement, the United States had not formally accepted responsibility for the reported strike. The embassy's appeal underscored the need for accountability and for the international community to recognise the human cost of the conflict, particularly the deaths of children in Minab.