A primary school in southern Iran was struck during Saturday’s joint US-Israeli military operation, killing at least 148 people who were mostly schoolgirls, according to Iranian authorities.
The attack came as the US and Israel launched joint military action against Iran on Saturday, beginning in Tehran and expanding across the country.
Mohammad Ashouri, governor of Hormozgan province, said Shajareh Tayebeh primary school in the coastal city of Minab was struck at 10.45am.
Some 170 schoolgirls were present, Ashouri said, adding that he hoped rescue operations would find survivors trapped under rubble. The Minab judiciary said 148 people had been killed and 95 injured. The semi-official ISNA news agency said on Sunday that the death toll had risen to 153.
State television showed the destroyed school with benches under debris, while mothers screamed in the school’s courtyard.
The Islamic republic described the attack as an example of what it called US and Israeli atrocities. President Masoud Pezeshkian said it was “savage” and “inhumane”.
The foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, called it a “war crime”.
Neither the US nor Israel has commented on the reason for the strike, but the US military said it was aware of reports of civilian casualties in Iran from its joint operation with Israel.
“We are aware of reports concerning civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations. We take these reports seriously and are looking into them,” said Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, which oversees American operations in the region.
“The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimise the risk of unintended harm.”
Nadav Shoshani, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said on Sunday that the force was “not aware of any IDF operations in that area” of the school.
The strike raised anger among some US politicians. Marjorie Taylor Greene — the former Republican congresswoman who resigned her seat at the start of the year after falling out with President Donald Trump — wrote on X on Saturday: “I did not campaign for this. I did not donate money for this. I did not vote for this, in elections or Congress. This is heartbreaking and tragic.”
“And how many more innocent will die? What about our own military? This is not what we thought MAGA was supposed to be. Shame!”
Iranian state television reported that “many” civilians had been killed across the country, describing the strike on the school in Minab as the most tragic incident so far. It did not provide further details on overall civilian casualties.
Ali Alizadeh, governor of Lamerd in southern Iran, said the joint operation targeted four residential neighbourhoods in that area, including a sports hall, killing at least 15 civilians and injuring many more.
Several rounds of attacks targeted various neighbourhoods in Tehran.
A text message sent to residents urged people to evacuate the capital if possible and move to safer areas “due to the continuation of the joint US and Zionist regime operation against Tehran and other major cities”.
Roads leading from Tehran to coastal cities along the Caspian Sea in the north have been converted to one-way routes and are crowded with residents fleeing over fears that residential buildings could be targeted.
During the June 2025 war with Israel, which centred on Tehran, officials said more than 8,500 buildings were damaged, 650 were completely destroyed and more than 1,000 civilians were killed nationwide.
Additional reporting by Steff Chávez in Washington
Financial Times
