The death toll from a joint United States and Israeli military strike on a primary school in southern Iran has risen to 148, most of them schoolgirls, according to Iranian authorities. Officials said the attack struck Shajareh Tayebeh primary school in the coastal city of Minab at approximately 10:45am on Saturday. The school was reportedly full of students when the blast tore through the building, causing widespread destruction and panic. Authorities described it as the deadliest single incident since the latest wave of military operations began.
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Mohammad Ashouri, governor of Hormozgan province, stated that nearly 170 schoolgirls were inside the school at the time of the strike. Rescue workers continued searching through rubble in hopes of finding survivors, while families gathered outside the destroyed compound awaiting news. The local judiciary in Minab confirmed that 148 people were killed and at least 95 others sustained injuries. State television footage showed classrooms reduced to debris, with desks and books buried under concrete slabs.
Iran’s Red Crescent reported broader casualties nationwide, saying that 201 people were killed and 747 injured across 24 provinces during Saturday’s coordinated strikes. Meanwhile, Ali Alizadeh, governor of Lamerd in southern Iran, said at least 15 civilians died after residential neighborhoods and a sports hall were targeted in his district. Authorities have not yet provided a final nationwide civilian casualty figure. However, officials indicated that the Minab school bombing accounted for the highest number of deaths in a single location.
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Iranian leaders strongly condemned the attack, calling it an act of aggression and a violation of international norms. President Masoud Pezeshkian described the strike as savage and inhumane, while Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei labeled it a war crime. In contrast, the US military acknowledged reports of civilian harm but stated it was reviewing the situation. A spokesperson for US Central Command said forces take civilian protection seriously and aim to minimize unintended casualties.
As fear spreads, authorities urged residents of Tehran and other major cities to consider relocating temporarily due to ongoing operations. Highways leading toward the Caspian coastal regions became heavily congested as families fled the capital seeking safety. During the June 2025 conflict, officials recorded more than 8,500 damaged buildings, including 650 completely destroyed structures, and over 1,000 civilian deaths nationwide. Consequently, many Iranians now fear that the latest escalation could result in even greater humanitarian devastation if hostilities continue.