Archive · 1 Oct 2026
Report details aftermath of deadly US-Israeli Minab school strike
A school in Minab, Iran, was hit during a US-Israeli strike on February 28.
Many children and teachers were killed.
Rescuers said the destruction was so severe that pieces of bodies remained on them.
Around 120 children were reportedly killed, while 168 bodies were recovered from the site.
Some families could identify their children only by their clothes or eyes.
The school has reopened, but a new building is being built beside the ruins.
Some students still take classes online because they are traumatised.
Investigators disagree with the United States about whether the strike was a mistake or a possible war crime.
Rescuers said fragments of children’s remains were found beneath their fingernails after searching the school’s rubble.
The February 28 strike on Shajareh-ye Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab killed around 120 children, according to the report.
Rescuers recovered 168 bodies, and some parents identified children by their clothing or eyes because of severe mutilation.
A UN fact-finding mission said the school was the intended impact point and found no indication it was used militarily.
The United States disputes allegations of wrongdoing, while Human Rights Watch called for a possible war-crimes investigation.
- Who
- Children, teachers, rescuers and families connected to Shajareh-ye Tayyebeh Elementary School; the strike was attributed to the United States and Israel.
- What
- A strike destroyed an elementary school, killing around 120 children and resulting in the recovery of 168 bodies, according to the report.
- When
- February 28; the rescue operation continued for more than 24 hours, and the school had reopened more than seven months later.
- Where
- Shajareh-ye Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran.
- Why
- The United States disputes allegations about the strike. A UN mission said the school was the intended impact point and was not being used for military purposes; Iranian officials called it a double-tap attack.
Critics and investigators
United States position
Whether the strike was a war crime
Critics and investigators
Iranian officials, Jeremy Scahill and Human Rights Watch described the attack as potentially or explicitly involving a war crime; a UN mission said the school was intentionally struck and not being used militarily.
United States position
The United States disputed the allegations and has not released an investigation into the attack.
Accident or deliberate targeting
Critics and investigators
Human Rights Watch said the damage was consistent with highly accurate guided munitions, while Iranian officials alleged a second strike targeted survivors and first responders.
United States position
The reported US explanation, as described by a scholar cited by Drop Site News, was criticized as attributing the incident to issues such as outdated maps, artificial-intelligence failures or bureaucratic shortcomings.
- Reported child deaths
- Around 120 children were killed, according to the report.
- Bodies recovered
- Rescuers recovered 168 bodies from the rubble.
- Rescue duration
- The recovery operation lasted more than 24 hours.
- School status
- The school has reopened, with a new building under construction beside the remains.
- UN finding
- The school was reportedly the intended point of impact, not collateral damage from an adjacent IRGC compound.
- Military-use finding
- The UN mission said no information indicated that the school was used for military purposes.
- Human Rights Watch assessment
- Human Rights Watch said the school was struck by highly accurate, guided munitions and called for a possible war-crimes investigation.