Iran mourns 165 girls, staff killed in school strike during US-Israel war
Mourners attend a funeral for girls and staff who lost their lives when a primary school in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province was hit on the first day of US-Israeli attacks on Iran. [Anadolu]
By Anadolu
Published On 3 Mar 20263 Mar 2026
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Iran has held a mass funeral for 165 schoolgirls and staff killed in what it has described as a United States-Israeli attack on a girls school in the southern city of Minab.
Saturday’s strike came on the first day of the joint US and Israeli attacks on Iran. It was the deadliest incident in the campaign against Tehran so far.
The Israeli military said it was not aware of any Israeli or US attacks in that area. Throughout its genocidal war on Gaza, however, Israel has repeatedly denied responsibility for deadly attacks on Palestinian civilians, only to later backtrack when evidence emerged, often describing such incidents as “accidental”.
The attack in Minab has been condemned by UNESCO and Nobel Peace Prize-winning education activist Malala Yousafzai.
Deliberately attacking an educational institution, hospital or any other civilian structure is a war crime under international humanitarian law.
On Monday, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the two countries “continue to indiscriminately strike residential areas, sparing neither hospitals, schools, Red Crescent facilities, nor cultural monuments”.
A woman hold a photograph of pupils during the funeral.[Anadolu]
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Mourners carry Iranian flags as they gather for the funeral in Minab. [Anadolu]
Coffins draped with Iranian flags are carried on trucks during the funeral. [Anadolu]
A man holds a photograph of a student killed in the school strike. [Anadolu]
Thousands of people, including families and officials, attend the ceremony. [Anadolu]
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US forces "would not deliberately target a school", and the US military said it is "looking into" reports of "civilian harm". [Anadolu]
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The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called for "a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation" into the "horrific" attack. [Anadolu]
