Tehran blames US-Israel for school bombing; 165 girls, staff killed
March 3, 2026: Iran on Tuesday held a mass funeral for 165 schoolgirls and staff killed in what authorities described as a joint United States–Israeli airstrike on Shajareh Tayyibeh Elementary School in the southern city of Minab. State television showed thousands gathered in a public square as coffins draped in the Iranian flag were carried through the crowd. Mourners chanted slogans against Washington and Tel Aviv, while officials condemned the attack as the deadliest single episode of the current conflict. Israel has denied knowledge of any such operation, saying it was unaware of a strike in the area.
Iranian leaders accused the United States and Israel of deliberately targeting civilians. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi shared an aerial image that he claimed showed mass graves for the victims, though the photograph’s authenticity could not be independently verified. In a post on X, he criticised former US President Donald Trump, questioning promises of “rescue” and framing the strike as evidence of Western aggression. The remarks were widely amplified across Iranian media platforms.
Under international humanitarian law, direct attacks on schools and other civilian sites are prohibited and may constitute war crimes if proven intentional. Legal experts stress that determining responsibility requires an independent and transparent investigation. As accusations and denials mount, the Minab incident has become a major flashpoint in the broader confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the United States, intensifying diplomatic and regional tensions.