TEHRAN- Alireza Ghorbani, a celebrated figure in Iranian traditional music, has added his voice to the chorus of grief and outrage following the tragic martyrdom of schoolchildren in the southern city of Minab, expressing sorrow over the innocent lives lost during the recent war.

In a note released on Thursday, the acclaimed vocalist reflected on the personal and national pain caused by the death of the students, who were killed in an attack that has shocked the nation. Ghorbani, a father himself, articulated a pain that resonates with millions of Iranians.

"Can you be a father and not worry about your children with every breath? God forbid!" Ghorbani's note began. He described the emotional turmoil of witnessing the conflict's impact on his own children, who are caught between the grim realities of war and the innocence of childhood. "Now that war has come and knocked on our door, every time I look at my two children—who are neither fully aware of the nature of war, nor far enough from its darkness to return to their childish world—my heart crumples at the loss of those departed children of Minab and all the children of this land who left us so soon and so untimely," he wrote.

The singer's message focused specifically on the students in Minab, a city in Hormozgan province that has become a symbol of the conflict's brutal toll on civilians. Following the Zionist regime and the U.S's a coordinated attack on February 28, in a deadly strike on a girls’ school — Shajareh Tayyebah elementary school in Minab, 168 children were martyred and 95 were injured, while classes were underway .

Ghorbani eulogized the young victims, framing their sacrifice within the larger narrative of Iran's struggle. "What can I say about Minab and the infinite sorrow for its martyred students who departed innocently and whose pure blood will forever nourish the mighty tree of a united Iran," his statement read.

The emotional reaction from the artist underscores the deep societal impact of the recent escalation. The Persian media has previously reported on the widespread outrage following attacks on civilian targets, which also include hospitals and residential areas. International bodies like the United Nations have condemned the strikes, emphasizing that children and schools must be protected under international humanitarian law.

Ghorbani, known for his soul-stirring vocals that often carry patriotic and mystical themes, joins a growing list of cultural and public figures mourning the loss of the younger generation and condemning the brutality of the strikes on civilian infrastructure. 

SAB/