The recent reports from Minab, Iran, are heart-wrenching. More than 160 young girls were killed when a missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school during recent military operations.

While the loss of two lives in a missile attack on Israel was swiftly and globally condemned, the scale of the tragedy in Minab is met with a different kind of response. A life is a life, whether it is 2 or 160. There should be no "no matter" when it comes to the sanctity of innocent lives.

In the face of such a staggering loss, we must confront a difficult question: Is there a double standard in how the world values human life?

When civilian casualties are dismissed as "collateral damage" or met with silence, it undermines the very foundations of international law and human rights. Whether a country is a superpower, an ally, or an adversary, the death of a child in a place of learning is a tragedy that demands universal condemnation and accountability.

If we remain silent because of political alliances, we lose our moral authority. We must demand that international law apply to everyone, regardless of geopolitical standing. Independent investigations into strikes on civilian infrastructure. Recognition that a life lost in Minab is just as precious as a life lost anywhere else.

Hypocrisy in the face of suffering only deepens global division. It is time for a global conversation on true equality in the protection of civilians.