Iran honours Minab missile strike victims at FIFA World Cup 2026

Iran's football team is honouring over 170 students killed in a 2026 Minab missile strike during the FIFA World Cup. The team, named 'Minab 168,' drew 2-2 with New Zealand amid protests and Iran's rejection of US claims about the target.

Iran's World Cup Tribute

Iran on Tuesday honoured the memory of the students who were killed in the February 2026 missile strike on a primary school in Minab. The country's football team is competing under the name "Minab 168" and wearing gold pins on their uniforms as an emotional tribute in their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign

The Spokesperson of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaei, said that Iran's resilience was built upon the shoulders of the memory and sacrifice of departed souls. In a post on X, he shared a Lego-inspired video showcasing the heartfelt message, "Iran, with all its wounds, still stands tall, and its children, with broad chests and unwavering resolve, are ready to compete on the world stage. The prayers of a nation accompany the national team on their path; for them, for Iran, and for the raising of this flag, we chant the sacred name «Iran» in unison, and we wish victory and honor for our youth." آن نه می بود که دور از نظرت می‌خوردم خون دل بود که از دیده به ساغر می‌شد از خیال تو به هر سو که نظر می‌کردم پیش چشمم در و دیوار مصور می‌شد «سعدی» در کنار هیجان رقابت تیم‌ملی فوتبال ایران در میدان جهانی، یاد عزیزانی را گرامی می‌داریم که در تجاوز و تهاجم دشمن از میان ما رفتند؛… pic.twitter.com/o21mHSO7f2 — Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) June 15, 2026

Protests and Defiance at World Cup

Iran supporters in the ongoing World Cup defied FIFA's ban by displaying the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag inside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Ahead of Iran's tournament opener against the New Zealand national football team on Monday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the stadium to protest against the Iranian government, as per the New York Post website.

Iran twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in their opening FIFA World Cup match on June 15.

The Minab School Attack

#Minab: When the world’s most precise missile chose a classroom: Targeting a school and the mass killing of children are war crimes, and those responsible need to be held to account.https://t.co/LApF2N8Rhc — Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran (@IRIMFA_EN) March 17, 2026

Iran Rejects US Claims

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected US Central Command's assertion that the school hit in February missile strikes in Minab was part of a missile launch facility, calling the claim a "baseless fabrication" aimed at concealing what it described as the killing of more than 170 school children and teachers.

In a post on X, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei slammed the US claims as baseless fabrication and called it an "appalling lie". "This shameless distortion is a clear attempt to obscure the severe reality of the 28 February missile attacks, which resulted in the tragic slaughtering of over 170 school children and their teachers", he said. (ANI)

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