Minab’s Mikaeil: The child whose farewell photo went global

Pars Today – The farewell photo of Mikaeil Mirdoraghi, a 10‑year‑old student from Minab, has become one of the widely shared global symbols of the children martyred in the incident, prompting extensive reactions on social media worldwide.

According to Pars Today, Shakiba Derikvand, the mother of Mikaeil Mirdoraghi, spoke in a phone interview with Hamshahri TV about her son’s characteristics and certain behaviors he displayed in his final days.

According to his mother, Mikaeil was a kind and polite child who proudly said he was “named after the angels.” On the morning of the incident, as he was leaving home, he asked his mother to take a photo of him — the picture that later became known as his “farewell photo.” His mother said: “He raised his hand as if he knew this was the last goodbye. His behavior had changed in the last days.”

She also mentioned his final drawing: “In the schoolyard, he had drawn a group of students in front of three rockets and written: ‘All the children died.’” Mikaeil had also said while memorizing Surah al‑Buruj: “I want people to be proud of me.”

His mother described other signs as well: “At dinner he said the food tasted like heaven. Late at night he built a bunker out of pillows and played a war game with his brother, saying Iran would win.”

She recounted the moment of the incident: “A few minutes before the school bus arrived, a missile hit the school. Mikaeil’s body was intact and his backpack was still on his shoulders; he had suffocated under the debris.”

In conclusion, she said: “This attack only killed innocent children. This crime will be remembered in history.”