‘God forbid I bring shame’: Iran’s chief negotiator invokes Minab victims ahead of peace talks with US

3 min readUpdated: Jun 21, 2026 12:26 PM IST

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf evoked the memory of the students who were killed in the Minab school strike, stating that the sacrifices of the “innocent children” would guide his actions during negotiations with the United States over the MoU aimed at ending hostilities in West Asia.

In a post on X, Ghalibaf said that he viewed the “martyrs” of Iran as the silent witnesses to every decision taken by his country’s leadership, adding that he hopes never to bring them shame.

“I consider the innocent children of Minab and all the martyrs of dear Iran to be watching over my every action and behaviour at every moment. They see us and expect things of us,” the Iranian parliament speaker said.

“God forbid that I should ever bring shame to the innocent martyrs and the people of Iran, and that I should join my companions with a clear conscience—companions for whose reunion I eagerly await,” he wrote, adding the hashtag “Minab168”, dedicating the post to the memory of the children of Minab School.

According to the Iranian officials, over 160 children were killed on February 28 when a school in Minab was hit during the opening phase of the war between the US and Iran.

The United States has denied targeting the Iranian elementary school. US President Donald Trump previously said that Tehran may have been responsible for the attack, adding that Iranian strikes lack precision.

کودکان مظلوم میناب و تمام شهدای ایران عزیز را هر لحظه ناظر اعمال و رفتار خود می‌دانم. آنها ما را می‌بینند و از ما انتظار دارند.

خدا کند که شرمندهٔ شهدای مظلوم و ملت ایران نباشم و روسفید به یارانم بپیوندم که برای دیدنشان لحظه‌شماری می‌کنم.

#Minab168

به یاد بچه‌های مدرسهٔ میناب pic.twitter.com/UDvZJOyJo2

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) June 20, 2026

Iran-US peace talks

His remarks come as the Iranian delegation, headed by Ghalibaf, is set to hold the first round of technical talks with the United States in Zurich, Switzerland, following the signing of the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached between the warring nations.

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The Iranian delegation also includes Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, Deputy for International Affairs at the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, Deputy Oil Minister and National Iranian Oil Company Chairman Hamid Borde, Deputy Foreign Ministers Kazem Gharibabadi, and Spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baghaei, among other officials, according to the Iranian state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

The discussions between the two countries will be primarily focused on the implementation of the commitments outlined in the memorandum.

Iran to verify compliance before implementing agreements

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that the talks would focus on ensuring that the commitments previously agreed upon were fulfilled.

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“Every agreement and understanding is tested when the time comes for its implementation,” Baghaei said, according to IRIB.

He then highlighted that Tehran would closely monitor compliance by the other side, citing what he described as past instances of unfulfilled promises.

“Given our experience of the other party’s breach of promise, we must seriously pursue the fulfilment of their commitments,” Esmaeil Baghaei added.

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Iran-Israel War