Six months after a deadly strike on Shajareh Tayebeh school in Minab, Iran, the grief of parents who lost their children remains as raw as ever. Masoumeh Zakeri endlessly replays the last night she spent with her nine-year-old daughter, Motahreh, who was killed in the attack. Motahreh was among at least 155 people, mostly children, killed in what Iran reported as the deadliest strike during the US-Israel war with Iran.
A Community in Mourning
The school, now largely in ruins, stands as a grim memorial. Portraits of the children killed adorn the site, and Iranian flags flutter above the rubble. Iran claims the attack involved two US Tomahawk missiles, though neither the United States nor Israel has officially claimed responsibility. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have blamed the US, while The New York Times reported that the school was hit by a US Tomahawk cruise missile.
Since an April ceasefire, the intense bombardments have largely ceased, but diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled. The parents of the victims find it difficult to return to the school, instead visiting the cemetery where their children are buried. Yaghoub Yazdanpanah, a teacher who lost his six-year-old daughter Fatemeh, recalls the frantic phone calls that sent him rushing to the school, only to find devastation.
Unfading Sorrow
Javad Shahrjou, a painter who lost his seven-year-old son Alireza, was blown away by a second missile strike as he searched for his son. Alireza was identified only by his underwear, socks, and shoes. Authorities plan to preserve the school as a memorial, but search operations continue for the bodies of three missing children. The parents say they cannot bring themselves to return to the site.
Arash Tondro, who lost an eight-year-old relative, struggles to comprehend why the school was targeted. He notes that the area had been a military base years ago but is now devoid of any military presence. The grief is so profound that Zakeri finds it difficult to imagine the future, stating, 'We have no plans at all. We just can't bring ourselves to go anywhere or do anything.'
The enduring sorrow of these parents underscores the human cost of the conflict, highlighting the need for resolution and justice for the victims and their families.
