At least 85 young girls were killed after an air strike hit a primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on Saturday morning, as the US and Israel launched their largest coordinated military offensive against Iran to date. The victims, aged between seven and 12, were among 170 pupils at the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Hormozgan province when the strike hit, with a further 60 students wounded. Saturday marks the first day of the school week in Iran, meaning classrooms were full when the bombs fell.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was among the first officials to publicly condemn the attack, posting on X alongside images of the destroyed building. 'The destroyed building is a primary school for girls in the south of Iran,' he wrote. '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.' The Israeli military's situation room said it was 'looking into' reports of fatalities at the school but had not issued a formal response at the time of publication. The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
