Narratives at War: How Iran's 'Minab 168' Outguns US Rhetoric in Global Perception
There are two wars unfolding at once. One is loud, visible, and destructive fought with missiles, aircraft, and military might. The other is quieter but no less consequential, waged through imagery, language, and perception. It is a war of narratives. And by many measures, Iran appears to be gaining ground in that second arena, while the United States struggles to recognize it is even being fought.
A Flight That Carried a Message
The contrast became strikingly clear in a single moment.
On the morning of a pivotal diplomatic mission, Iran’s chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, boarded a flight to Islamabad for what observers described as the most consequential talks since 1979. Before departure, however, he orchestrated a gesture that would reverberate far beyond the confines of diplomacy.
The front row of the aircraft was left empty of passengers. In each seat sat a framed photograph of a child. Beside them: blood-stained school bags, small shoes, and white flowers. The display commemorated the 168 victims of the Minab elementary school strike, including students and teachers killed when the Shajareh Tayyibeh girls’ school was hit on February 28, the first day of the war.
Iranian state media reported the death toll, while CNN confirmed that the strike occurred and cited a preliminary U.S. military investigation suggesting it was likely accidental, attributed to outdated intelligence regarding a nearby naval facility.
Ghalibaf later posted an image of the scene on X, writing simply: “My companions on this flight. Minab 168.” The Iranian delegation formally named its mission “Minab 168,” while Iranian diplomatic missions abroad echoed the message. The Iranian Embassy in South Africa reposted the image with the words: “We will never forget the children of Minab.”
The image spread rapidly across the Muslim world, the Global South, and Europe. It transcended language barriers. It required no translation, no briefing, no official statement. In a war saturated with information, it stood out as one of the most powerful pieces of communication produced in over six weeks of conflict.
A Very Different Message from Washington
At nearly the same moment, a very different tone emerged from the United States.
Speaking at Joint Base Andrews before departing for Virginia, former President Donald Trump told the New York Post: “We are loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made, even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart.” He later posted: “Our great Military is loading up and resting, looking forward, actually, to its next conquest. AMERICA IS BACK.”
The juxtaposition was stark. On one side, a plane carrying the symbolic weight of dead children to peace talks. On the other, rhetoric emphasizing strength, dominance, and future military action.
Both images one visual, one verbal circulated globally at the same time. Their reception varied, but the emotional impact in cities like Jakarta, Cairo, Lagos, Karachi, and Kuala Lumpur was difficult to ignore.
Public Opinion Reflects the Divide
Polling data appears to reinforce what these contrasting narratives suggest.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on March 1 found that only 27% of Americans supported the strikes on Iran, while 43% opposed them. A separate Quinnipiac poll reported that 53% of Americans were against U.S. military action.
Among allies, skepticism was even more pronounced. In Canada, 61% disapproved of the strikes. In the Netherlands, public sentiment was widely described as critical. In the United Kingdom, 83% expressed concern about the economic consequences, and 58% opposed U.S. military action outright, according to Ipsos.
These are not distant or adversarial nations they are among America’s closest partners. Yet majorities within them expressed hesitation or outright opposition to the war.
In the broader Muslim world, home to approximately 1.8 billion people, reactions have been more intense. Two senior Iranian clerics issued a fatwa declaring that retaliation against the United States was “the religious duty of all Muslims in the world.” Protests erupted across multiple countries, from Pakistan and Indonesia to Morocco. In Pakistan alone, demonstrations reportedly turned deadly, with more than two dozen people killed.
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The Power of Framing
From the outset, Iran’s messaging has been consistent and deliberate. Its leadership has repeatedly framed its actions as defensive rather than aggressive. Official statements from Tehran have emphasized “defense” and “resistance” rather than war.
Iran’s foreign minister described the campaign as “defensive operations,” while the national security council characterized the conflict as “resisting aggression.” Even its diplomatic mission to Islamabad was symbolically tied to civilian casualties, reinforcing a narrative of victimhood and moral positioning.
By contrast, U.S. messaging has leaned toward strength and dominance. Phrases such as “total and complete victory,” “loading up the ships,” and “next conquest” project confidence but are largely tailored to domestic audiences. While such language may resonate internally, it risks alienating international observers.
What works as political rhetoric at home can land very differently abroad sometimes as escalation, sometimes as indifference, and sometimes as confirmation of existing fears.
Why Narrative Matters
History has shown that wars are not decided solely on battlefields. They are shaped in the court of global opinion, where perception can influence alliances, legitimacy, and long-term outcomes.
The United States has faced this reality before. During the Vietnam War, public perception both domestic and international played a critical role in shaping the conflict’s trajectory. The Iraq War offered similar lessons, as initial narratives gave way to widespread skepticism and opposition.
Today, those dynamics appear to be repeating.
As diplomatic talks in Islamabad unfold, whether they end in resolution or collapse, the global community will interpret the outcome through the narratives already taking shape. Responsibility, justification, and blame will not be assigned in a vacuum they will be filtered through images, language, and emotional resonance.
And in many parts of the world, that narrative may already be written.
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