NEW DELHI: Iranian state media on Sunday said the death toll from an alleged strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran has climbed to 165, with dozens more injured, even as Israel said it was not aware of any such attack and the United States said it was looking into the reports.
The state-run IRNA news agency quoted a local prosecutor as saying 96 people were wounded in the strike. Earlier, the Iranian Red Crescent had put the toll at 108, revising it up from an initial estimate of five provided by a provincial official.
The reported incident is said to have taken place in the town of Minab in Hormozgan province, near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route.
Conflicting claims over responsibility
Iranian authorities said their enemies conducted strikes on a school in Minab on Saturday. A provincial official said Israeli strikes hit a school in Hormozgan, and a county governor identified the site as the Shajare Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school.
“The number of student martyrs at Minab School has reached 108, and relief and debris removal operations are still ongoing,” a spokesperson for the Iranian Red Crescent said earlier.
However, Israel’s military denied knowledge of any such strike.
“At this point not aware of an Israeli or an American strike there... We're operating in an extremely accurate manner,” military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters.
The United States also stopped short of confirming the incident. AFP reported that US Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Pentagon likewise did not immediately comment, but a CENTCOM spokesperson was quoted by The New York Times as saying: “We are aware of reports concerning civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations. We take these reports seriously and are looking into them.”
“The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimise the risk of unintended harm,” the spokesperson added.
Footage verified, but details unclear
AFP reported that it had geolocated video footage showing black smoke billowing from a damaged building decorated with murals of crayons, children and an apple. The clip was traced to a building in Minab that appeared to be a school.
A second video, verified by outlets including The New York Times, showed a similarly damaged structure from a different angle, with distressed bystanders gathered nearby.
Iranian state television identified the site as the Shajare Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab.
However, AFP said it could not independently verify the date the footage was filmed, the exact nature of the site, or the circumstances surrounding the reported strike. The agency also noted that foreign media organisations require explicit approval from Iranian authorities to report outside Tehran, limiting independent access.
Rights group investigating
Norway-based rights group Hengaw said it was investigating the identities of the students allegedly killed in the strike. In a statement, the organisation said the school was holding its morning session at the time of the incident, with about 170 students reportedly present.
The widening discrepancy between Iran’s casualty figures and the absence of confirmation from Israel and the United States has added to the uncertainty surrounding the event.
As tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States escalate following recent military exchanges, the alleged strike on the school, if confirmed, would mark one of the deadliest single incidents involving civilians in the current confrontation. Independent verification of the toll and responsibility remains pending.
