An Israeli air strike has reportedly hit an elementary girls’ school in the city of Minab, in Hormozgan province, killing dozens of people and injuring many others, according to Iranian state media. The attack, which authorities say occurred on Saturday, has become one of the deadliest reported civilian incidents since the latest wave of joint US-Israeli bombardments across Iran began.
Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim News Agency cited local judicial officials in Minab as confirming that the death toll had risen to 85. Another 63 people were reported injured and rushed to medical facilities in the region. Emergency crews were still combing through the rubble hours after the strike, as families gathered near the destroyed compound searching for loved ones.
The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that heavy machinery was deployed to clear debris from the site, which had been reduced to mangled concrete and twisted metal. Photographs shared by Iranian officials showed collapsed classrooms, scattered books, and shattered desks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strike, describing it as an attack on civilians and “innocent children.” In a post on social media platform X, he wrote that the destruction of the girls’ school would not go unanswered.
“These crimes against the Iranian people will not go unanswered,” Araghchi stated, accusing Israel and its allies of targeting civilian infrastructure.
The spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, labeled the incident a “blatant crime” and urged the United Nations Security Council to convene urgently and take action.
In a separate development, Mehr News Agency reported that at least two students were killed in another strike that allegedly hit a school east of Tehran. Iranian officials said these incidents raise serious questions about the stated objectives of the military campaign.
There has been no immediate public response from Israeli or US officials addressing the specific allegations regarding the school strikes. Both governments have previously maintained that their operations target military infrastructure and strategic assets, not civilians.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Vall said the reported attacks are likely to deepen scrutiny over the conduct of the campaign.
“The strikes call into question repeated claims that only military targets are being hit,” Vall reported, noting that images of civilian casualties could significantly shape international perception.
The latest escalation follows a period of mounting hostilities between Iran, Israel, and the United States. In June 2025, a 12-day conflict resulted in widespread destruction and heavy civilian casualties across Iran. According to Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, thousands were killed or injured during that confrontation, with key public infrastructure damaged.
The strike in Minab has intensified fears that the current wave of attacks could further widen the conflict, drawing in regional actors and prompting additional international diplomatic pressure. As rescue workers continue to recover victims from the rubble, families in Hormozgan province are left mourning, while global attention turns to whether the violence will spiral into a broader regional war.
