The Iran national football team has protested over the killing of schoolgirls on the first day of the US-Israel-Iran war. In a viral video on social media, the players can be seen holding small backpacks during the national anthem, honouring the little girls killed in Minab. They also wore black armbands for their game against Nigeria in Turkey. Iran were taking on Nigeria in a friendly in the Turkish resort town of Belek as part of their preparations for this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, though their participation remains uncertain due to the conflict that erupted late last month.
The men stood in a line, each holding pink and purple bags tied with ribbons, as a symbolic tribute to the victims of the attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school. According to Tehran, the strike killed more than 175 people, including many children and teachers, on the first day of the joint US-Israeli offensive. The colours and presentation of the bags were meant to reflect the innocence of the young lives lost and to highlight the human cost of the conflict.