Who Hit the Iranian Girls’ School in Minab and Killed Over 170? New Details Emerge
- A missile struck Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran, killing over 170 people, mostly girls
- Preliminary reports indicated that a US Tomahawk missile may have hit the school due to outdated targeting information
- Iran condemned the strike as a “blatant crime,” while investigations and international calls for accountability continue
A missile hit Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28, killing more than 170 people, most of them young girls.
The attack, which struck during morning classes, destroyed the two-storey building and left dozens injured.
Source: Twitter
The school sits near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base in Hormozgan province, a strategic region overlooking the Strait of Hormuz. Satellite images show the school intact just hours before the strike.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, condemned the attack, describing it as a “blatant crime”, and called on the United Nations Security Council to take action.
Speaking on Wednesday, March 11, via X, Baghaei also claimed the missile strike on the school in Minab was a “double-tap” attack.
A “double-tap” is a tactic where a second strike targets rescuers after the initial blast.
Footage and preliminary investigations, as disclosed by Al Jazeera, suggest the school may have been hit by a US Tomahawk missile, likely because of outdated targeting information.
Experts who spoke to the news channel say the building had once been part of the military base but had been converted into a school with separate entrances.
Trump's reaction to Iran's strike
US President Donald Trump initially claimed Iran might have been responsible, though evidence does not support this. US officials later acknowledged that a missile strike likely caused the deaths, and an investigation is ongoing.
He had said on Saturday, March 8:
“Based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran. We think it was done by Iran because they are very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran.”
The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, who stood behind Trump when the comment was made and did not back the claim, insisted repeatedly that the Pentagon was still investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, March 11, that the school was likely struck by a US Tomahawk missile due to a targeting mistake. The report, citing US officials, said the investigation is still ongoing, but early findings suggest the United States may have been responsible.
In the United States, Senate Democrats are demanding answers, calling for a “swift investigation” into how the attack happened and what measures were in place to avoid civilian casualties.
Source: Getty Images
Israel reacts to alleged involvement
Israel's military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, however, rejected claims that it was involved in the strike.
“We have checked multiple times and have found no connection between the [Israeli army] and whatever happened in that school,” he was quoted as saying.
Experts warn that even if the US is confirmed responsible, the consequences may be limited. Historical incidents, such as the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade and the 1991 Amiriyah bunker strike in Iraq, show that mistakes killing civilians often result in minimal accountability.
The Minab school attack has quickly become a symbol of the war’s human cost, as Iran continues to retaliate with missile and drone strikes across the region.
US-Israel air strike kills over 100 children
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that at least 115 children, mostly girls aged 7–12, were reportedly killed in an air strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in southern Iran on February 28.
The strike, attributed to US and Israeli forces, triggered panic among residents. Videos circulating on social media show smoke, debris, and distraught onlookers at the site. International condemnation quickly followed.
Global figures, including Malala Yousafzai and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, decried the attack, urging accountability.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
