Balm in the middle of war: From Kashmir to Kerala, donations trickle in at Iran embassy

New Delhi: A hesitant third-grader, Sarwar, glanced at his father before speaking, his voice barely above a whisper as he tried to explain why he had come to the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi on Saturday.

The child had travelled with a group of men from Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, carrying with him a small offering --a gesture of solidarity, one month after the Minab school attack in Iran, that reportedly killed at least 170 schoolchildren and teachers.

Encouraged by his father, Haidar Mehndi (43), a car mechanic, the child softly said, “Mai apne rahbar (referring to Iran’s supreme leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who was killed in the ongoing war) ko Khiraj-e-aqidat pesh karne aya hu. Mere rahbar shaheed ho gaye hain (I have come to pay tribute to my leader. My leader has been martyred).”

A steady stream of visitors has been arriving at the embassy since the war between the US and Israel and Iran began, with people travelling from across the country -- including Kerala, Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh -- bringing small donations, handwritten messages and tokens of support.

Inside, a clay piggy bank--left a day earlier by another child -- sat on a table alongside crossed flags of India and Iran and a white flower, symbolising friendship. In a post shared on social media, the embassy described the gesture as coming from “small yet love-filled hands”, calling it a symbol of kindness and friendship between India and Iran.

Embassy officials said the contributions are being used to procure medicines for those injured in the attack. “We have already sent two consignments and are preparing a third — around 11 tonnes — to be dispatched on Tuesday,” an official said showing a room filled with cartons of medicines ready for shipment.

Visitors were seen handing over donations, noting their details for acknowledgment. Among them, Akhbar Abbas handed over a small bundle of cash — Rs 3,410 — which was recorded before being accepted. The men quietly left after exchanging greetings and sharing a moment of sorrow.

The register placed inside the embassy carried pages of handwritten messages in Hindi, Urdu, and English — some expressing grief, others solidarity. A few were written by schoolchildren who had visited earlier with their teachers. Officials said nearly 20 such registers have been filled since the war began, with people continuing to arrive through the day to extend support.

The Minab school strike took place on Feb 28 amid the opening phase of the ongoing conflict. The war has since seen sustained airstrikes and retaliatory attacks, with hundreds of civilians, including children, reported killed, even as investigations into specific incidents — including the school strike — are ongoing and contested.