Parents Cyrus and Asieh Rahinejad Nasiri received the crushing news last week: the search for their seven-year-old son Makan's remains was officially closed. He vanished on February 28 when US-linked missile strikes hit his elementary school in Minab, Iran, leaving 156 people dead. The family remains unable to bury their child, a stark reminder of the war's human cost, Al Jazeera reported.
The morning of February 28 dawned like any other in Minab, a coastal city in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province. Children headed to school. Adults began their workday.
This ordinary routine shattered shortly after 11:00 AM local time. A first missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school, a site located near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base. Makan Nasiri, a kind child who enjoyed gymnastics and sports, was inside.
His mother, Asieh Rahinejad, received a frantic phone call from a teacher minutes after the initial impact, urging her to collect her son immediately. She did not know war had begun that day, with bombings already reported in Tehran and the killing of Iranian leaders. Her only thought was for Makan.
She called the school bus driver to go retrieve him. But a second missile struck the school within minutes. This impact offered no chance of rescue for many on the premises.
Children, teachers, and others in the immediate area were caught in the blast. The destruction was extensive. What this actually means for your family, for a family like the Nasiris, is that hope for a quick recovery disappeared instantly.
Cyrus Nasiri, Makan's father, recounted his arrival at the scene to Iranian state media. “When we arrived, the school was destroyed. In these first moments after arriving, we only saw one thing: ruins,” he said. He described a scene of utter chaos, with debris scattered widely and rescue efforts already underway amid the smoke and dust.
He searched the area from before noon on the day of the attack until 2:30 AM the next day, desperate for any sign of his son. Washington did not claim responsibility for the attacks on the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school. This lack of admission complicates accountability.
However, Al Jazeera reported that military analysts examining debris patterns suggested US Tomahawk missiles were likely used in what became the single deadliest incident involving civilians since the start of the war. The policy says one thing, denying involvement; the reality says another, with specific weaponry pointing to a clear source. The death toll from the elementary school strike was significant.
Ebrahim Taheri, the general prosecutor in Minab, provided a final tally on April 9 to state media, revising the count from an initial 168 to 156 people. This official count included 120 students, with 73 boys and 47 girls among them. Another 26 teachers, all women, perished; one was six months pregnant.
Seven parents, a school bus driver, and a technician from a nearby clinic also died in the assault. Forensic experts worked for weeks to identify the victims. Many bodies were torn apart by the bombs’ force.
Despite extensive DNA testing, no trace of Makan could be found. For the Nasiri family, this meant no body to mourn, no grave to visit, just an agonizing void. Iran’s top forensic authority, the Legal Medicine Organisation, confirmed the challenges of identification across the conflict zone.
Roughly 40 percent of all bodies recovered during the war could not be immediately identified due to extensive damage, the organization stated. Of the 3,375 people confirmed killed by the organization since the war began, the remains of four individuals remain unidentified. This includes seven children under the age of one, 255 children between one and 12 years old, and 121 teenagers aged 13 to 18.
The search for Makan officially ended after nearly seven weeks. Iranian authorities informed his family that his case was closed without finding any remains. Cyrus Nasiri described his son as a kind and active child who helped at the local religious center with his family.
The emotional toll of this lack of closure is immense. It adds a layer of grief beyond the initial loss, a constant question mark where peace should be. On the 38th day of the search, Makan’s uncle found a single shoe some distance from the main school building.
The family identified it as belonging to Makan. A damaged blue sweater was also found, but nothing else. This small, tangible piece of their son became a focal point for their sorrow.
His mother, Asieh Rahinejad, shared her inner struggle at a gathering to honor Makan. “I was terrified by the idea of having to place Makan in the grave, I couldn’t stand that. I prayed to God for help, and it may explain why we couldn’t find him,” she said, her voice heavy with both pain and a complex sense of peace. The shoe, a blue canvas sneaker, now rests in a box.
It has been placed in a local mosque to commemorate Makan, serving as a symbol for a life cut short and a family’s incomplete mourning. All the other children in Makan’s class were killed. His father had held onto a sliver of hope that Makan might have escaped after the first strike, a hope now extinguished by the official closure of the search.
This incident in Minab underscores the broader humanitarian crisis unfolding across the region. Civilian casualties continue to mount. The question of accountability for strikes on non-military targets, especially schools, looms large.
For families like the Nasiris, the focus remains on personal loss, but the wider implications for international law and conflict ethics cannot be ignored. The inability to bury a child due to the sheer force of modern weaponry is a reality many families now face. - Makan's elementary school in Minab, Iran, was hit by US-linked missiles on February 28, killing 156 people. - Washington has not claimed responsibility for the strike, despite evidence pointing to US Tomahawk missiles. - The family found only a single shoe and a damaged sweater belonging to Makan, now placed in a local mosque. Why It Matters: This story is about more than a single family's grief; it illustrates the human cost of modern warfare, particularly when civilian infrastructure becomes a target.
The lack of accountability for such strikes, combined with the physical destruction that denies families the ability to bury their loved ones, creates deep, lasting trauma. For working families caught in conflict zones, this is not abstract policy; it is the daily, grinding reality of profound personal loss and the absence of closure. It raises critical questions about international norms in conflict and the protection of children.
As the broader conflict continues, the spotlight will remain on the actions of all parties involved and the adherence to international humanitarian law. Observers will watch for any official statements from Washington regarding the alleged use of its weaponry in such incidents. The Nasiri family’s long journey towards finding peace without their son's remains reflects the ongoing challenges for thousands affected by the war, with many more seeking answers and accountability in the months ahead.
Key Takeaways
— - The search for 7-year-old Makan Nasiri's remains concluded without success after seven weeks.
— - Makan's elementary school in Minab, Iran, was hit by US-linked missiles on February 28, killing 156 people.
— - Washington has not claimed responsibility for the strike, despite evidence pointing to US Tomahawk missiles.
— - The family found only a single shoe and a damaged sweater belonging to Makan, now placed in a local mosque.
Source: Al Jazeera
