Iran on Tuesday held a mass funeral for 165 schoolgirls and staff members killed in a strike on a girls’ school in Minab, a city in the country’s south. Authorities in Tehran have blamed the United States and Israel for the attack, describing it as one of the deadliest single incidents since the current conflict began.
The Israeli military has denied knowledge of any Israeli or American operation in the area. The tragedy unfolded shortly after Washington and Tel Aviv announced joint strikes on Iranian targets, as fighting between the sides intensified. President Donald Trump has said Iran’s new leadership was among those targeted, while official figures put the overall death toll inside the country at 787.
State television footage showed thousands of mourners gathered in a public square in Minab. Men waved national flags, while many women dressed in black chadors stood in separate rows. From a stage overlooking the crowd, a grieving mother who identified herself as Atena’s mother raised a sheet bearing printed portraits. She described it as proof of what she called American crimes, saying the girls “died in the way of God.” The crowd responded with chants condemning US and Israeli policies and repeated calls of “No surrender.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused Washington and Tel Aviv of responsibility for the deaths. In a message posted online , he wrote that more than 160 innocent girls were killed when a primary school was bombed, adding that their bodies were torn apart. He said the strike showed the reality behind what he described as promises of rescue, linking the attack to wider violence across the region.
Tehran has called for global solidarity, saying several schools and hospitals have been affected by recent air strikes. The appeal comes as Iran continues launching missiles and drones across the region, while Israeli forces have stepped up air raids in Lebanon and carried out a new ground incursion in the south, vowing to eliminate Hezbollah.
The conflict has also stirred tensions among Western allies. President Trump voiced frustration over what he sees as hesitation from NATO partners and criticised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying his stance had strained the longstanding special relationship between the two countries. European Union and Gulf state foreign ministers are expected to hold talks by videolink to discuss the escalating crisis.
International reaction to the Minab strike has been swift. UNESCO and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai condemned the attack. The UN human rights office called for a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into what happened. Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said the office of High Commissioner Volker Turk did not yet have enough verified information to determine whether the strike amounted to a war crime, but described the images circulating online as horrifying and reflective of the destruction and despair caused by the conflict.
Under international humanitarian law, deliberately targeting schools, hospitals or other civilian facilities is considered a war crime. Asked about the incident, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that if it had been an American strike, it would be investigated by the relevant department. He insisted that the United States would not deliberately target a school.
As mourning continues in Minab, the attack has become a powerful symbol of the growing human cost of the war, with families burying their children while leaders trade accusations on the global stage.
