TEHRAN- A grand commemorative ceremony titled "In Memory of the Butterflies of Minab" was held in Tehran on Tuesday to mark the 40th day since the martyrdom of schoolchildren in Minab.

The special program was organized by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA)-Kanoon in collaboration with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). 

In a poignant tribute, hundreds of Tehran’s students attended the ceremony wearing their school uniforms and holding Iranian flags to honor their fallen peers from Minab.

Addressing the crowd, world-renowned filmmaker Majid Majidi expressed his gratitude to the Iranian armed forces and praised the public’s resilience. "The enthusiastic and spontaneous presence of the Iranian people in these gatherings is no less significant than being on the front lines of the war against the American-Zionist regime," he stated.

Expressing deep sorrow over the tragedy in Minab, Majidi added: "I am certain that Iran’s warriors will avenge the blood of these innocent children and citizens. These child-killing Zionist regime and the US will eventually be held accountable for their crimes against humanity in international forums." 

He emphasized that national unity is the key to victory, noting that "the enemy’s back has been bent by your round-the-clock gatherings."

The ceremony featured emotional performances, including choral hymns and a puppet show led by popular IRIB presenters Sara Roostapour and Fatemeh Amini. During the event, a new campaign titled "The Sapling of Hope" was launched, inviting children to plant fruit trees across Tehran in memory of those martyred during the Ramadan War.

The gathering also included mobile theaters and various art workshops, including painting and mural crafts, organized by Kanoon instructors to provide a space for creative expression for the children in attendance.

On February 28, the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan province, became the site of a devastating massacre as the United States and Israel initiated their strikes against Iran. 

While dozens of girls and boys aged between 7 and 12 were beginning their lessons, the school was targeted by a missile strike that caused the building to collapse, trapping children and teachers beneath the rubble. Iranian authorities confirmed a final death toll of 168 people, with at least 95 others wounded, marking one of the most harrowing incidents of the conflict's opening day.

Despite attempts by US and Israeli authorities to distance themselves from the carnage as images of the tragedy spread across social media, detailed forensic and digital investigations have painted a starkly different picture. 

An analysis by Al Jazeera’s digital investigations unit, utilizing over a decade of satellite imagery and recent video clips, revealed that the school was a clearly distinct civilian facility, separated from any adjacent military sites for at least ten years. Furthermore, witness accounts and satellite-based analyses confirmed that the school was triple tapped by three separate, deliberate strikes, leaving no doubt about the nature of the attack.

The international community has faced mounting evidence regarding the responsibility for this atrocity, with investigations from major global outlets including The New York Times, BBC Verify, CBC, and NPR all concluding that the United States was responsible for the strike. 

These findings have raised fundamental questions about the intelligence used to justify the bombing, as the patterns of the strike suggest a direct targeting of a civilian educational institution. The Minab school tragedy now stands as a somber testament to the immense human cost of the aggression and a focal point for those demanding international accountability.

SAB/