Iran’s World Cup team arrived in Mexico this weekend wearing lapel pins that paid tribute to the victims of a deadly missile strike on an elementary school at the start of the war with the United States and Israel.
The gold-colored pins, worn by players on their jackets upon arrival in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday, bore the number “168.”
The number refers to the victims, predominantly children, who were killed in a February 28 strike on a school in Minab, southern Iran, an attack widely attributed to the U.S.
Iran’s embassy in Hungary on Monday acknowledged the pins in a social media post, specifically referencing Minab.
The gesture follows a similar tribute by the team in March, prior to a warmup game in Antalya, Turkey. On that occasion, players displayed pink and purple school backpacks during their national anthem, drawing attention to the same incident.
The strike on the school, which was reportedly close to a Revolutionary Guard base, has drawn staunch criticism from the United Nations and human rights organizations.
Neither the United States nor Israel has accepted responsibility for the attack, with the U.S. military currently investigating the incident and stating it would never intentionally target civilians.
The Iranian delegation traveled via private jet from Antalya on Saturday to Tijuana, Mexico, following a late change of plans two weeks ago to use Mexico as a training base instead of Tucson, Arizona.
Their preparations for three group-stage games in the U.S. have been complicated by visa processing delays from American authorities. Some delegation members with ties to the Revolutionary Guard have reportedly been denied entry.
The team’s entry into the U.S. remains uncertain ahead of their June 15 opening match against New Zealand in Inglewood, near Los Angeles.
They are scheduled to return to Tijuana between games, before facing Belgium on June 21 in Inglewood and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
Iran and the U.S. could meet in the round of 32 on July 3 at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington, Texas, if both teams come second in their groups.
