PARIS, France — Iranian authorities have reported a devastating strike on an elementary school in the southern town of Minab, claiming over 100 fatalities and attributing the attack to the nation’s “enemies.
The incident allegedly occurred on Saturday at the Shajare Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Hormozgan province, near the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping route. Iranian state television identified the facility, while verified footage shows a damaged building adorned with colorful educational murals billowing black smoke.
Conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the casualty figures. The Iranian Red Crescent initially reported 108 deaths, while local governor officials later revised the toll to 165 fatalities as search operations concluded.
Both United States and Israeli military authorities have denied involvement in any strike operation. Israel’s military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani stated: “At this point not aware of an Israeli or an American strike there… We’re operating in an extremely accurate manner.”
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has not provided immediate official comment, though a spokesperson was quoted by The New York Times acknowledging awareness of reports concerning “civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations” and confirming they “take these reports seriously and are looking into them.”
Independent verification remains challenging as foreign media organizations require explicit Iranian government approval to report outside Tehran. AFP has geolocated footage to Minab but could not independently verify the nature of the site or the date the footage was filmed.
Human rights organization Hengaw, based in Norway, has launched an investigation into the identities of the allegedly killed students. The group reported approximately 170 students were present during the school’s morning session when the incident occurred.