TEHRAN -- As the new academic year unfolds across Iran, classrooms fill once again with the restless energy of youth—the quiet hum of pencils on paper, whispered conversations, the hopeful anticipation of discovery. 
Yet beneath this familiar rhythm lies a profound absence. Thirty-four students, vibrant young lives full of potential, will not return to their desks. They were taken in an unprovoked act of violence—the recent Israeli aggression that shattered families, communities, and futures.
These lost students, many barely on the cusp of adulthood, were robbed not only of their right to education but of the very possibility of a future. 
Their absence is felt keenly across the country, a painful reminder that learning does not exist in a vacuum but within the fragile context of geopolitics, where the architecture of childhood can be reduced to rubble by the distant decisions of malign forces—indifferent to the sanctity of life, of schoolyards, of futures just beginning to take shape.
The new school year began Saturday under the solemn shadow of Sacred Defense Week, a time in Iran dedicated to remembering sacrifice and resilience. It is a period when education is reframed not simply as intellectual pursuit but as an act of patriotism, a form of resistance against forces that seek to undermine the nation’s spirit. This ethos permeates schools, where teachers are seen not only as instructors but as guardians of a cultural and moral legacy—tasked with nurturing a generation that must carry forward a torch passed to them amid hardship.
Stories of perseverance from Iran’s recent history—years of war, captivity, and hardship—were invoked as lessons for today’s students. They remind young people that resilience and dedication are not abstract virtues but lifelines, vital for overcoming adversity and forging a path forward. These narratives of endurance offer a quiet defiance against despair, underscoring the power of education as both refuge and weapon.
The students lost in the recent violence are remembered not as distant statistics, but as peers whose dreams were violently cut short. Their stories of bravery and innocence serve as a solemn call to their classmates: to honor their memory by embracing courage, responsibility, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.
At ceremonies across the country, the ringing of a “Sacrifice Bell” by families of the fallen and school officials served as both a tribute and a vow—a commitment to preserve the sanctity of learning despite the shadows cast by war. 
In the face of profound loss, Iran’s educational community renews its mission: to cultivate resilience, academic excellence, and civic responsibility among its youth. The futures stolen from one generation weigh heavily, but those who remain are entrusted with carrying their peers’ dreams forward—living not only for themselves but as custodians of a legacy interrupted, determined to build a future denied to so many.