Iranian authorities say at least 110 people have been killed after what they described as joint United States and Israeli airstrikes struck a school in southern Iran, in one of the deadliest reported incidents in the latest escalation of regional hostilities. The strike reportedly hit a girls’ school in the city of Minab in Hormozgan province during school hours, according to Iranian state media and emergency officials, who said many of the victims were children.
Iran’s Red Crescent and local officials said rescue workers continued searching through the rubble into the night, warning that the death toll could rise further as more bodies were recovered. Images circulating on Iranian outlets showed heavily damaged buildings and emergency crews at the scene. The casualty figures have not yet been independently verified by international observers.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack, calling it a deliberate strike on civilians and accusing Washington and Tel Aviv of committing what he described as a war crime. Iranian officials said the school was not located near any declared military installation and insisted it was a purely civilian facility.
The reported strike comes amid a broader wave of attacks that Iranian media say targeted multiple sites across the country. Authorities reported additional casualties in other provinces, though details remain limited. In response, Iran said it had launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks against what it described as US and Israeli military positions in the region, further heightening fears of a wider conflict.
Officials in Washington and Jerusalem have not publicly confirmed striking a school. Military sources acknowledged ongoing operations but said they were reviewing reports of civilian harm. Independent verification of the exact circumstances surrounding the strike remains difficult due to restricted access and the rapidly evolving security situation.
International leaders and humanitarian organizations have expressed concern about civilian casualties and the risk of further escalation. The incident marks a significant and troubling development in tensions between Iran and Israel, with the United States increasingly drawn into the confrontation. As rescue operations continue, families in Minab are mourning what local authorities describe as one of the deadliest single incidents affecting children in the current round of hostilities.
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