A strike on a girls’ primary school in Minab, Hormozgan province, struck on Saturday morning while students were in class, and Iranian officials and teachers report more than 100 children were killed. Reported casualty figures have varied—sources and officials have cited totals from about 108 up to 180 as rescue operations continued. UNESCO condemned the strike as a grave violation of protections for schools, the Pentagon said it was investigating reports of civilian harm, and videos show extensive damage at the site.
Reported Strike on Minab Girls’ School Kills Over 100, Officials Say
A strike on a girls’ primary school in Minab, in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, killed well over 100 children on Saturday morning, Iranian officials and local teachers reported. The attack occurred at the start of the school week when students were in class, and casualty totals have varied as rescue efforts continued.
Local Reports and Casualty Figures
Shiva Amelirad, a Canada-based representative of the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, told TIME that sources in Minab reported at least 108 children were killed. Other official tallies released in the hours after the strike ranged from 150 to 180, including statements by Iran’s foreign ministry and the city prosecutor. TIME has not independently verified these figures.
Scene and Response
Video and photographs circulating on Telegram show a partially collapsed, smoke-darkened building surrounded by rescue workers and dozens of civilians. The school’s lower exterior—painted blue with floral decorations and a mural of a child reading—was badly damaged, and piles of backpacks and debris were seen in footage of the site. Local hospital morgues reportedly reached capacity, and refrigerated trucks are said to be used to store bodies.
Allegations About The Site
Local sources cited by Amelirad told TIME that the building had previously been used for military purposes and later converted to a school attended by children of both military and civilian families. FactNameh, an Iran-focused fact-checking site, reported the school sits on the grounds of a base used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). A video verified by The New York Times showed a strike hitting that nearby IRGC base.
International and Official Reactions
The U.N. education agency UNESCO said it was "deeply alarmed" and called an attack on a school a grave violation of protections owed to educational institutions under international humanitarian law. Pentagon spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said the U.S. Department of Defense was "aware of reports concerning civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations," that it was taking the reports seriously and investigating. The Israeli military told the Associated Press it was not aware of strikes in the Minab area.
"The killing of pupils in a place dedicated to learning constitutes a grave violation of the protection afforded to schools under international humanitarian law," UNESCO said in a post on X.
Public Reaction
The strike prompted outrage across social and political lines. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai condemned the attack, calling the deaths "unconscionable." Some supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump also expressed anger; former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said on X that the action was not what she expected from the administration.
Ongoing Investigation
Rescue and recovery operations continued after the strike, and officials cautioned that casualty figures were provisional and rising. Multiple agencies and news organizations are seeking to confirm the circumstances and attribution of the strike. TIME and other outlets noted that independent verification of all claims was not yet possible.
Additional reporting contributed by Fatemeh Jamalpour. Contact the newsroom at [email protected].
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