TEHRAN - In a letter to Pope Leo XIV, a group of families of the students martyred by a US missile attack in the city of Minab on February 28 expressed their appreciation for the Pontiff and asked him to be the voice of their voiceless children.

They have called upon Pope to use his influence to press world powers for the opening of “all paths of dialogue” in the pursuit of lasting peace, saying his message of peace has “offered a healing touch to our broken hearts.”

The school massacre occurred when a US military attack using Tomahawk missiles struck Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, killing more than 170 children and teachers.

The signatories described the crime as “a direct result of the provocation and support of senseless warmongers who unleashed destruction upon our innocent children,” Press TV reported

“Today, instead of feeling the warmth of our children’s embrace, we are left to hold onto their charred bags and bloody journals,” the letter said.

“Our children will never return home to build a brighter future, but it is the prayer of us grieving parents that your message to 'lay down the weapons' be heard, at a time when the United States and the Israeli regime fuel the flames of these atrocities with their excessive demands,” it stated.

They appealed to the Pope to be “the voice for our voiceless children” and, through his enlightening words, help create a world where no parent “is ever forced to whisper a nightly lullaby over the cold gravestone of their child.”

The signatories also expressed gratitude to the Pope for having reminded the whole world through his message that lasting peace would be achieved “not through force and weapons, but through the path of dialogue.”

The 70-year-old pontiff has issued consistent calls for peace and dialogue, and has denounced the use of religious justification for war.

Specifically, he called US President Donald Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable.”

Trump insulted the pontiff in a message on his Truth Social, saying the Pope is “weak on crime.”

Pope Leo, however, said later that he will continue to speak out against war and preach peace, regardless of political pressure.

Earlier this month, the chairmen of Iran’s religious and scientific institutions praised Pope Leo XIV for his "courageous stance" on the ongoing US-Israeli conflict, expressing hope that his position will help bring an end to hostilities.

In a joint letter addressed to  the head of the world’s Catholic Church, the Iranian officials wrote, "Your condemnation of the US-Israeli attacks against Iran and the killing of innocent people has been a source of pride for religious communities worldwide."

The letter added that the Pope’s resistance to political pressure from the US president sets "an example for scholars and clerics of all faiths."

The signatories emphasized that the message of all divine prophets has consistently been one of peace, human solidarity, and the rejection of oppression and violence. Citing religious teachings, they noted that the unjust killing of a single person is tantamount to the killing of all humanity.

Despite this principle, the letter stated that the "child-killing Zionist regime" — backed by the US administration — has attacked several countries over the past three years alone, killing tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Qatar.

The signatories specifically referred to the US-Israeli war of aggression launched against Iran on February 28, arguing that the two regimes crossed all red lines by assassinating the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and by striking civilian infrastructure, including universities, schools, and charity centers.

The authors argued that resources currently devoted to conflict should instead be used to promote moral values and alleviate human suffering.

The Iranian officials' remarks followed earlier comments by the Pope, who warned of escalating violence in West Asia and urged restraint. "Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats or weapons," he said, calling instead for "reasonable, authentic, and responsible dialogue." He also cautioned that further escalation could lead to a major humanitarian crisis.