175 Children Killed in Iran School Airstrike, Thousands Mourn as Coffins Fill Minab Streets
On Saturday, an airstrike destroyed Shajarah Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, Iran, while classes were ongoing. At least half the 2-story building collapsed. The strike killed 175 people, mostly young schoolgirls.
Satellite images showed the school stood beside an IRGC naval base, but a wall separated them since 2016. Another strike hit Hedayat High School in Tehran, killing 2 students. US and Israel gave no direct response.
Across the Middle East, more than 800 people have died since Saturday after US-Israel strikes killed Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran responded with rockets and drones. The Minab school bombing became one of the deadliest attacks.
Before the Tuesday funeral, workers dug rows of graves about 5 miles from the destroyed school. Verified footage by The New York Times showed dozens of graves, many smaller for children, prepared in southern Iran.
On Tuesday, thousands filled the streets of Minab during the funeral. A truck carrying coffins moved slowly through the crowd as mourners cried, threw rose petals and sweets, and raised photos of the children killed.
At the cemetery, coffins were lowered into fresh graves as crowds prayed and chanted. International law calls attacks on schools a war crime. US Central Command said it was aware of civilian harm reports.
