• Source:JND
Add as a preferred
HighLights
  1. Iran FM Araghchi arrived in New Delhi for BRICS meeting.
  2. Plane displayed "Minab168" referencing alleged US strike victims.
  3. Visit highlights escalating Iran-US-Israel tensions, West Asia conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday to attend the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting, carrying with him a powerful symbolic message amid rising tensions in West Asia. The aircraft that brought Araghchi to India bore the inscription "Minab168", a reference to the 168 schoolchildren Iran claims were killed in a US strike on a school in the southern city of Minab on February 28.

Images released from Tehran showed the “#Minab168” marking prominently displayed on the fuselage as Araghchi boarded the plane before departing for India. Iranian officials have repeatedly used the Minab incident to highlight what they describe as the civilian cost of the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel.

Araghchi’s visit comes at a crucial time, with the escalating Iran-US-Israel tensions expected to dominate discussions at the BRICS meeting being hosted by India. During his visit, the Iranian foreign minister is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, where issues such as regional stability, energy security and the Strait of Hormuz crisis are likely to feature prominently.

The BRICS gathering in New Delhi is being closely watched as member nations remain divided over the West Asia conflict, with diplomats uncertain whether the bloc will be able to issue a unified position on the crisis.

What happened at Minab?

The Minab incident dates back to February 28, the opening day of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, when the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab was struck during an air raid. Iranian authorities claimed the attack killed 168 schoolchildren, turning the tragedy into one of the most emotionally charged episodes of the conflict.

ALSO READ: ‘Think Of Minab Mothers When You Kiss Your Baby’: Iran Hits Out At White House Press Secy Karoline Leavitt

Located in Hormozgan province near the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz, Minab soon became a focal point in the debate over civilian casualties in the war. UNICEF said the victims included children aged between 7 and 12, describing the strike as a devastating example of the impact of armed conflict on civilians.

The controversy deepened because the school was reportedly situated close to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facility, raising questions over whether the area had been targeted due to nearby military infrastructure. Following global outrage, the Pentagon launched a higher-level investigation into the strike after early assessments reportedly suggested that US forces may have been involved. Some reports also indicated that faulty or outdated intelligence could have contributed to the attack.

You may also like to watch

 


Also In News