Drawings recovered from the debris of a bombed school in Iran are now being displayed in New Delhi, transforming a quiet exhibition into a deeply moving reflection of loss, memory, and the human cost of war. The collection, showcased at the Iranian Embassy, uses children’s artwork to communicate a tragedy that continues to resonate far beyond the battlefield.
Titled ‘Angels of Minab’, the exhibition features drawings created by young students who were among those killed when an elementary school in Minab was struck on February 28 during joint US-Israel military operations. The attack claimed the lives of more than 165 children and staff, making it one of the most devastating civilian incidents in the early phase of the conflict.
According to the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi, the drawings on display were retrieved from beneath the rubble of the destroyed school by Red Crescent rescue teams. Although partially damaged, the artworks have been carefully restored to preserve what remains visible. The Embassy described them as fragments of a world that once reflected innocence, colour, and trust—contrasting sharply with the violence that ended those lives.
Through these drawings, the exhibition attempts to highlight a stark reality: while the images depict simple and hopeful perspectives of childhood, the external world failed to protect them. The display serves as a quiet yet powerful statement that in every war, it is often the youngest and most vulnerable who bear the deepest scars.
The Minab school, located less than 100 yards from an IRGC naval base, had reportedly been converted entirely into a civilian educational institution years before the strike. US officials have described the incident as an unintended consequence of misidentification rather than a deliberate targeting of civilians. However, the scale of the loss has continued to draw international attention and debate.
Beyond remembrance, the tragedy has also become part of Iran’s broader diplomatic narrative. Iranian officials have used symbolic gestures to emphasize the human toll of the conflict. In one such instance, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf shared images from a flight to Islamabad, where seats were arranged with photographs of children killed in the strike, accompanied by backpacks and roses. Referring to them as “Minab 168,” he underscored the number of lives lost, turning the victims into a lasting symbol within diplomatic engagements.
The exhibition in Delhi reflects a wider effort by Iran to draw global focus toward civilian suffering amid ongoing hostilities. Officials have pointed to extensive damage to schools, universities, and healthcare facilities across the country during weeks of sustained strikes.
Rather than relying on statistics or official statements, the display communicates its message through the quiet power of children’s drawings—each one a reminder of lives interrupted and futures that will never unfold.
