Images depicting lines of graves dug in preparation to bury schoolgirls killed in recent strikes in Iran have sparked outrage, with Mary L. Trump, the niece of US President Donald Trump, publicly inquiring about the human cost of the war.
Reports indicate that 165 schoolgirls from Minab Primary School in southern Iran were buried on Tuesday following their deaths in strikes in the ongoing escalation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Photographs and videos of the schoolgirls being buried have shown lines of freshly dug graves.
Mary L. Trump reacted after images of the burial site circulated on social media. Reposting a photograph showing the cemetery, she wrote: "I defy anybody to justify this.”
Also Read | Who was Savitha Shan? Indian-American student killed in Texas shooting; FBI probing possible Iran nexus
Funeral images spark international reaction
The burial ceremony reportedly took place in Minab, where hundreds of people gathered to mourn the children. Visuals shared online show long rows of graves dug next to one another, marking what residents described as one of the most painful moments of the conflict.
Reports said the large number of graves required the use of heavy machinery to prepare the burial site. Photographs taken from above show parallel rows of graves spread across the cemetery. The images have circulated widely on social media, with many users questioning the impact of the ongoing conflict on civilians.
Iranian officials condemn the attack
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also commented on the incident while sharing an image of the graves on social media.
"This is what Trump’s promise of protection actually looks like," Araghchi wrote in his post, referring to the attack that reportedly killed the schoolchildren.
He added that the graves were prepared for “more than 160 innocent girls” killed in the bombing of a primary school.
Officials in Tehran have blamed US and Israeli forces for the strike, while Israeli authorities have maintained that their operations were aimed at Iran’s military and strategic infrastructure.
Rising civilian toll in the conflict
The burial of the schoolgirls comes amid a sharp rise in casualties following the latest wave of strikes and retaliatory attacks across the region.
Also Read | 'Too late': Donald Trump rejects Iran's call for talks as regional strikes escalate
According to reports cited in the coverage, the death toll from US and Israeli strikes in Iran has risen to at least 787 people.
The reported figures have not been independently verified but are likely to vary as further information comes in. The incident has brought into focus the humanitarian cost of the war, especially after the reported images of the funeral.
