The tragic missile strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran’s Hormozgan province, occurred on February 28, 2026, during the opening hours of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
Iranian authorities reported that the attack killed between 150 and over 175 people, with the vast majority being young schoolgirls aged 7 to 12 who were in class at the time. Estimates from state media and officials cited figures such as at least 165–168 deaths (primarily children) and around 95 injuries. The strike caused the school building’s roof to collapse, trapping students and staff under rubble in what has been described as one of the deadliest single incidents of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict.
The school, located near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval facility, was hit amid a broader wave of missile and airstrikes targeting Iranian military sites. International organizations, including UNESCO and UN human rights experts, condemned the incident as a grave violation of international humanitarian law, emphasizing that schools and children are explicitly protected under such rules. UNESCO called it a direct threat to the right to education, while UN experts demanded an independent investigation and stated there is “no excuse for killing girls in a classroom.”
Preliminary U.S. military assessments and ongoing investigations have indicated that American forces were likely responsible for the strike, possibly via a Tomahawk cruise missile. Sources familiar with the inquiry suggest it resulted from a targeting error, stemming from outdated intelligence that misidentified the school building (or its location) as part of a former or adjacent military installation. The Pentagon has confirmed an investigation is underway but has not issued final conclusions. Neither the U.S. nor Israel has publicly accepted responsibility, though some reports note Israel was not operating in that area during the strike.
The incident sparked widespread international outrage, mass funerals in Minab, and debates over civilian casualty mitigation in the conflict. It remains a focal point of concern regarding the human cost of the escalation.
SOURCES:
Over 36,500 killed in Iran’s deadliest massacre, documents reveal | Iran International
Pentagon probe points to U.S. missile hitting Iranian school : NPR
U.S. at Fault in Strike on School in Iran, Preliminary Inquiry Says – The New York Times
U.S. target list may have mistaken Iranian elementary school as military site – The Washington Post
Images taken near Iranian school hit in deadly strikes show fragments of U.S.-made missile
Iran war Day 12: Ships struck, U.S. investigates girls school strike : NPR
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