Iran Team Honors Minab Children Before Kickoff

WANA (Mar 27) – Iran’s national football team paid tribute before its friendly against Nigeria to the children killed at the “Shajareh Tayyebeh” school in Minab, a school that was struck during the February 28 U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory and has since become one of the most painful symbols of the civilian toll of the attacks.

The friendly match between Iran and Nigeria kicked off on Friday at Mardan Stadium in Antalya, Turkey. During the Iranian national anthem, the players entered the opening ceremony holding school backpacks in their arms — a symbolic gesture in memory of the students and teachers killed in the strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ primary school in Minab.

At least 170 students and staff members were reported killed in the attack, which took place during a wider wave of joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on several locations inside Iran on February 28.

Iran national football team takes the field in tribute to Minab schoolchildren killed in airstrikes. Social media / WANA News Agency

Iran’s players also wore black armbands as a mark of mourning for those killed in the recent U.S. and Israeli attacks on the country. The gesture came as the team used the pre-match ceremony to deliver a humanitarian message on an international stage, turning a routine friendly into a moment of remembrance for one of the war’s deadliest attacks on civilians.

Head coach Amir Ghalenoei started Alireza Beiranvand, Ali Nemati, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Hossein Kanaani, Aria Yousefi, Milad Mohammadi, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Ghorbani, Mohammad Mohebi, Ali Gholizadeh and Mehdi Taremi in the starting lineup.

Iran national football team takes the field in tribute to Minab schoolchildren killed in airstrikes. Social media / WANA News Agency