There were not just officials on the aircraft carrying an Iranian delegation to Islamabad for talks with the United States. The aircraft, named “Minab-168”, carried Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, along with blood-soaked school bags, shoes, white flowers, and pictures of Minab school victims as a symbolic message of damage caused by this war.

Iran Honours Minab Victims

Ghalibaf shared a photo from his flight to Pakistan, showing him carrying pictures of victims from the Minab incident. Posting on X, he wrote, “My companions on this flight,” along with the hashtag #Minab168, in a gesture to honour those affected. They were placed in the front row of the flight. The gesture honoured children and staff who lost their lives in the February 28 strike on an elementary school in Minab.

The incident resulted in at least 165 deaths and left more than 100 injured. Upon arrival of the delegation in Islamabad, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency quoted Ghalibaf, as saying that Tehran is entering the talks with "good intentions but no trust." He further noted that previous rounds of negotiations had consistently failed to yield lasting outcomes.

Islamabad Talks 2026

The officials will engage in talks with the United States delegation led by Vice President JD Vance, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner on Saturday. The meeting in Islamabad aims at extending the ceasefire and ending the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted global supply chains and the world economy.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the talks in Islamabad are a “make or break” chance to secure a permanent ceasefire and peace in the region. He called the negotiations a major step toward resolving the conflict through dialogue. The primary focus of the talks will be the 15-point proposal sent to Iran by the US, to which Tehran has responded with a 10-point counter-proposal. However, it remains unclear whether the issue of Lebanon will be formally discussed.

You May Also Like To Watch:

 


Also In News