At least 175 people were killed in an airstrike on a primary school in Iran, the country’s authorities have said.
The Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, was destroyed during the launch of a joint US-Israeli bombing campaign on February 28.
While the death toll has yet to be independently verified, the offensive is feared to be the single deadliest incident in the ongoing war. The strike has been condemned by Unesco as a “grave violation of humanitarian law”.
Nearly two weeks after the strike, a preliminary inquiry has reportedly found the United States was at fault, US officials and others familiar with the investigation have told the New York Times.
How did the missile strike happen?
Local authorities said the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school was struck by a missile in an attack in the southern city of Minab on the first day of the US-Israeli strikes.
Strikes in the area began around 10am IRST (6am GMT). Iranian authorities reported initial strikes in the area at roughly 10:45am local time with social media reports emerging at around 11:30am.
Iran runs on a six-day working week from Saturday to Thursday, with Friday being the only official day of rest. This means the school would have been occupied when it was hit.
The school was situated just 200 ft away from a nearby naval base belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). Satellite images show those buildings reduced to rubble.
The school reportedly had no association with the IRGC for the last nine years and had been marked by colourful walls and paintings.
Footage circulating on social media showed the building had been destroyed with remnants of school books seen among the rubble.
Initial reports claimed five fatalities after the strike, with the death toll later rising to 85. By Saturday evening, officials said that 108 students had been killed.
On Sunday evening, local prosecutors said the death toll had increased to 165 with a further 95 injured. The most recent reported death toll stands at 175.
What has the US said about the attacks?
In the days since the incident took place, there have been multiple statements made by US officials, and President Donald Trump – though not always appearing to be on the same page.
A spokesman for US Central Command, Tim Hawkins, initially said on Sunday 1 March, the day after the attack: “We take these reports seriously.
“The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimise the risk of unintended harm.”
US secretary of defense Pete Hegseth told reporters on Wednesday 4 March that the matter was under investigation, stressing that the United States military did not target civilians, stopping short of a denial.
Hegseth’s map of the first 100 hours of America’s US military operation against Iran showed American attacks around the Minab region, while a similar map of Iranian strikes showed no equivalent Iranian strike in the area over the same period.
Asked whether the deaths were the result of a US strike, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters later the same day: “Not that we know of.”
“The United States of America does not target civilians, unlike the rogue Iranian regime that targets civilians, that kills children … and uses propaganda quite effectively,” she continued. “And unfortunately, many people in this room have fallen for that propaganda.”
A US investigation is still underway but early evidence pointed towards American involvement. Military investigators, using evidence from data analysts reviewing satellite imagery, video footage and social media, believe that the school was hit by a precision strike and may have been hit more than once, in reports first emerging on Friday 6 March.
Maps from the Department of Defense also showed two Iranian air defence targets surrounding the school’s location, which is within what the Pentagon describes as a “U.S./Israeli strikes” zone.
Outside military analysts also suggested that the Pentagon’s AI-driven targeting — or human error that failed to check whether target maps were up to date — may have played a role.
Trump, when asked about the incident a week later, blamed Iran. “No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran,” he told reporters.
Then, new footage that emerged 10 days after the attack appeared to show a Tomahawk missile striking the ground in the vicinity of the school.
The president doubled down on Monday as he said of the video: “I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is used by, you know, it’s sold and used by other countries, you know that.
“And whether it’s Iran, who also has some Tomahawks, they wish they had more, but, whether it’s Iran or somebody else, the fact that a Tomahawk – a Tomahawk is very generic, it’s sold to other countries. But that’s being investigated right now.”
But on Wednesday, March 11, nearly two weeks after the. incident, the New York Times revealed details of the preliminary inquiry into the incident.
It reportedly found the US was responsible for the strike and that it had been caused by a Tomahawk missile.
Officers at US Central Command are said to have created the target coordinates for the attack using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, according to The Times.
However, the officials stressed that the findings are preliminary and that unanswered questions remain.
“As The New York Times acknowledges in its own reporting, the investigation is still ongoing,” Leavitt said in a statement.
When asked about the findings soon after the story was published, Trump told reporters outside the White House: “I don’t know about it.”
What has Israel said about the attacks?
While the attacks on Iran have been a joint effort between the US and Israel, the Israeli military said it was “not aware” of the incident in the immediate aftermath.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, later said Israel is looking into the event but does not believe its military is involved.
An Israeli government source told CBS News that Israel was not behind the attack and added that its military was not operating near the school.
How has Iran reacted?
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the airstrike and expressed condolences to families impacted.
“I share the heavy sorrow of the victims’ families, the noble people of Minab, and all of Iran, and I stand with them in this grief,” he said in a statement, according to Iranian news agency Tasnim.
“This savage act adds another black page to the record of countless crimes by the aggressors, a memory that will never be erased from our nation’s history,” he continued.
Pezeshkian called on rescue, medical, and relevant authorities to offer “immediate and continuous assistance to the injured and the families of the fallen”.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi added: “The destroyed building is a primary school for girls in the south of Iran.
“It was bombed in broad daylight, when packed with young pupils. Dozens of innocent children have been murdered at this site alone.
“These crimes against the Iranian People will not go unanswered.”
How has the world reacted to the strikes?
Humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations and Unesco have condemned the strikes and suggested they violate international law.
California governor Gavin Newsom accused Trump of focusing more on discussing a White House ballroom renovation than on military campaign which he said was carried out without congressional authorisation.
“We have to reconcile why our bombs were used, or Israeli bombs, were used to kill children, young girls at a school,” he said last Wednesday.
Unesco said it was “deeply alarmed by the impact of the ongoing military escalation in the Middle East on educational institutions, students, and education personnel”.
They went on: “The killing of pupils in a place dedicated to learning constitutes a grave violation of the protection afforded to schools under international humanitarian law.
“Attacks against educational institutions endanger students and teachers and undermine the right to education.
“In accordance with its mandate and with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2601 (2021), Unesco recalls the obligations of all parties to protect schools, students and education personnel.”
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