On February 28, 2026, the first day of the Israel-USA attack on Iran, the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, was struck by a missile during morning classes while approximately 170 students were inside the building. The impact reduced the school to rubble, trapping many children beneath collapsed concrete structures. Local residents reportedly began rescue efforts immediately, digging through debris with their bare hands as parents searched the ruins calling out their children’s names.

According to the public prosecutor’s office in Minab, at least 108 people were killed, many of them schoolgirls between seven and twelve years old. A spokesperson for the Iranian Red Crescent Society later confirmed a final death toll of 108 schoolgirls, representing more than half of the students enrolled at the school. Dozens of victims were initially reported missing following the strike.

Videos circulating on social media and described as showing the immediate aftermath depict smoke rising from burned walls, debris scattered across nearby roads, and large crowds gathered at the scene in visible distress, with screams audible in the background. The Guardian reported that the footage and casualty figures could not immediately be independently verified. However, the Persian fact-checking organization Factnameh cross-referenced the video with known photographs of the school site and concluded that the footage was authentic, while Reuters also verified that the video originated from the school location.

Responsibility for the strike remains unclear. A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that authorities were “looking into” the reports. The school is reported to be located adjacent to a Revolutionary Guards barracks, a factor that has raised questions regarding possible targeting considerations.

Hossein Kermanpour, spokesperson for Iran’s health ministry, described the bombing on X as “the most bitter news” of the conflict so far, adding: “God knows how many more children’s bodies they will pull from under the rubble.” Speaking to Drop Site, Shariatmadar stated: “I cannot understand how a place where innocent children learn can be bombed like this. We are talking about small children who knew nothing of politics or wars. And yet they are the ones paying the highest price.”

If the reported death toll is confirmed, the strike would constitute the largest mass-casualty event of the U.S.-led attack to date.

Geolocation : next to Resalat Boulevard, Minab, #Iran 27.109834, 57.084748

The school appears to be adjacent (600m) to a Revolutionary Guards barracks. This proximity is used in the pro-Isreaeli propaganda to explained the airstrikes.

On March 1, The Guardian reports that the Israeli-Us "strike on girls’ elementary school in south of Iran has killed 148 people and injured 95 others, according to Iran state media"

Statement of Capt. Tim Hawkins, the spokesperson for US Central Command: The US was “aware of reports concerning civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations. We take these reports seriously and are looking into them.”

**Nobel Peace Prize Malala Yousafzai statement: **

“They were girls who went to school to learn, with hopes and dreams for their future. Today, their lives were brutally cut short. Justice and accountability must follow. All states and parties must uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and safeguard schools.”