On a Saturday morning in Minab, southern Iran, a missile struck Shajareh Tayyebeh school, killing up to 168 people, mostly girls aged seven to 12. The attack occurred during the US-Israeli bombing campaign, with the missile hitting between 10am and 10.45am while classes were in session. Verified footage shows children's bodies among the rubble, colourful backpacks covered in blood and dust, and a distraught man waving bloodstained textbooks, shouting that these were civilians, not military targets.
The school was adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) barracks and support buildings, including a medical clinic and cultural complex. However, the school itself was walled off, with no indication of military use. It enrolled many local children, especially those unable to afford private school fees, according to Shiva Amelirad, a representative of Iranian teachers' unions. The bombing has been described by Unesco as a 'grave violation' of international law.
Iranian state media reported 168 killed and 95 injured, though these figures remain unverified due to restricted independent reporting and internet blackouts. The Guardian used geolocated images, satellite imagery, and verified videos to confirm the location and details of the attack, which is the worst mass casualty event of the US-Israeli-led strikes so far.
