Iran on Tuesday conducted a mass funeral for 165 schoolgirls and staff members killed in a US–Israel airstrike on a primary school in Minab, located in Hormozgan province, southern Iran.
The strike, which occurred on Saturday at the onset of hostilities between the two sides, initially left five pupils dead.
However, as emergency responders sifted through the rubble, the death toll climbed steadily first to 95, then 118, and eventually surpassing 160.
Authorities said the victims were attending a girls’ elementary school when the facility was hit.
According to reports by CNN, the school lies approximately 61 metres from an Iranian military base and had reportedly been separated from the base’s main compound since at least 2016.
Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson described the bombing as “a blatant crime,” vowing that the attack “will not go unanswered.”
While the Israeli military said it was unaware of any operation in the area, a spokesperson for the US central command confirmed that Washington was aware of the incident and was reviewing the circumstances.
“The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimise the risk of unintended harm,” the official said.
The incident has drawn international condemnation, including from UNICEF, which decried the loss of children’s lives in the conflict.
