The Iranian embassy in Cyprus on Wednesday commemorated the missile attack on Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab, Iran, which killed 168 schoolchildren on February 28.

The embassy said the commemoration, symbolically chosen some 168 days since the event, was intended to maintain attention on the circumstances of the attack and the question of accountability for those responsible.

It said international law specifically protects for children during armed conflict, citing provisions that classify intentional attacks against schools, when not military targets, as war crimes.

The embassy referred to findings by Amnesty International, which called for the case to be examined if the attack resulted from an identification or operational error.

According to the Iranian account, the school was struck twice, with the later occurring while children were sheltering at the site.

The embassy rejected claims that the deaths were the result of an autonomous AI system acting independently, arguing that responsibility ultimately rests with those who authorised and carried out the attack.