The US-Israel bombing of an Iranian school that killed hundreds of children

On March 3, 2026, thousands of people gathered in the city of Minab in southern Iran to mourn the death of 165 children killed in a missile attack at Shajareh Tayyebeh school. Videos showed trucks bringing coffins into public squares, crowds singing funeral prayers, and parents grieving aloud.

The missile attack occurred during the first day of the coordinated US–Israeli operations targeting Iranian military infrastructure. In the early hours of Saturday, February 28, Iran was hit by several joint airstrikes, which began at around 10:00 am local time, an hour when Iranians send their children to school. A few minutes later, one of their missiles struck the school while students were inside studying. The impact demolished the building, causing the roof to fall over the children, who were mostly girls aged 7 to 12, say Iranian authorities.

The authorities describe the strike as the deadliest single incident of the war, stating that over 150 students were killed at Minab’s Shajarah Tayyebeh Elementary School.

Several leading international publications have reported on the fateful event, although noting that their reports lack on-site verification of the site as Iran doesn’t allow independent reporting. 

Al-Jazeera’s report states that the attack on the school, which is based in one of the key military regions of the country and prioritises admission to children of military personnel, is likely ‘deliberate’. The school is located separately in an adjacent military site.

Consistent with Al Jazeera reporting, the Guardian noted that there is no indication the school functions as a military facility; the block is separate from the rest of the military complex by a wall.

Meanwhile, the carnage has drawn severe public outcry with images emerging of dead bodies and body parts of children taken out of the rubble.

In a statement, UNESCO expressed grave concern over the ongoing military attacks. “The killing of pupils in a place dedicated to learning constitutes a grave violation of the protection afforded to schools under international humanitarian law.”

It stressed that students in schools are protected under international humanitarian law, cautioning that “attacks on educational institutions put students and teachers at risk and undermine the right to education.” Under international humanitarian law, intentional direct attacks on educational buildings and hospitals are barred and considered war crimes. 

The Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, defines the intentional targeting of civilians and attacks against buildings dedicated to education as war crimes. Neither the US nor Israel is party to the statute.

Since the deadly bombing, neither the US nor Israel has taken responsibility for the attack, although reports suggest that the attack on school was one of theirs.

In response to the Minab school strike, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, “The Department of War would be investigating that if that was our strike. The United States would not deliberately target a school.” 

US Central Command (CENTCOM) Spokesperson Tim Hawkins added that reports of civilian casualties are taken “with utmost seriousness,” emphasising that “the safeguarding of civilians is paramount, and we will persist in implementing all available measures to reduce the risk of unintended casualties.”

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were “not aware of any operations in that region.” These statements came amid strong Iranian condemnation, with officials sharing images of the strike, labeling it a “barbaric act”, and calling for international action, including intervention by the UN Security Council.

The international community so far have kept their mum.

Israel at the centre of the attack

Many observers argue that the current attacks, which saw the killings of school children in early hours of the conflict, is escalated by the Israeli administration, which also sits at the centre of a serious widespread genocide allegations. Israel has faced widespread criticism for its inhumane actions in Palestine from targeting children, schools and humanitarian workers to causing famine and starvation. 

However, the two administrations, including the US have turned deaf ear to the criticism. Trump’s administration has provided continued support to Israel in its offence in the Gaza strip, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterating the US position that “all hell will break loose” on those who go against Israel.

In recent press interaction, when Rubio, the US Secretary of State, was asked what led the United States to attack Iran, he claimed it was a preemptive strike. He said the US knew Israel was planning to attack Iran and that Iran would likely retaliate against American forces, a justification that drew significant criticism. Rubio later sought to distance himself from those remarks, saying his comments had been taken out of context.

The latest escalation traces back to the October 2023 attack in Israel, which killed over 1,200 Israelis. Its disproportionate military campaign in Gaza has since killed over 60,000 Palestinians, many of them children.

Reports from the Gaza Health Ministry and Save the Children indicate that over twenty thousand Palestinian children have been killed since October 2023, including 1,009 infants under age one, while UNICEF notes more than 64,000 children killed or injured and thousands missing under rubble amid the blockade as of February data.

Other statistics show Gaza being robbed of basic human rights and hope for a better future, as international media reports horrific accounts of people scrambling for food with humiliation as the entry fee and sorrow as the exit.