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Funerals held for victims of southern Iran school strike
Iran buried more than 160 students and staff on Wednesday after a missile attack destroyed a girls' school in Minab, an incident Tehran attributes to a joint US-Israeli operation. Independent verification of the death toll remains unavailable.
Attack details and Iranian accusations
Iranian officials state three missiles struck the school on Saturday morning, approximately 600 meters from an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base. The school was in session as Iran's workweek runs Saturday through Thursday, with Friday as the sole rest day.
President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the attack as a "barbaric act," while Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi shared images of mass graves on social media, labeling the event as the reality of "rescue" promised by former US President Donald Trump.
US and Israeli responses
The US military is reviewing reports of the incident, according to Central Command (Centcom) spokesman Tim Hawkins. "We take these reports seriously," Hawkins said, emphasizing the US commitment to minimizing civilian harm. "The protection of civilians is of utmost importance."
Israel's military stated it was "not aware" of any operations in the area. When questioned by the BBC, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied deliberate targeting of the school, asserting the US had "no interest" in striking civilian infrastructure.
Aftermath and public mourning
State television broadcast the funeral processions, showing coffins draped in Iran's flag carried through crowds of mourners. A voiceover recounted the grief of parents who lost their daughters, while verified footage depicted smoke rising from the school and panicked crowds.
International media face significant restrictions in Iran, with news organizations frequently denied visas, limiting independent reporting on the ground.
Geopolitical context
The strike occurred amid broader military exchanges, with the US and Israel conducting extensive operations targeting Iranian military sites and leadership. Iranian authorities have framed the school attack as part of a pattern of aggression, though no direct evidence linking the strike to US-Israeli forces has been publicly confirmed.
