Israel’s military acknowledged Sunday that it is investigating reports that an airstrike hit a girls’ school in southern Iran an attack that Iran’s government says killed more than 100 students and staff. Iranian authorities and state media have described the strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab (Hormozgan province) as a horrific incident in the broader U.S.–Israel air campaign, with death toll figures ranging from around 108 to nearly 150 according to different Iranian and semi‑official sources.
Tehran’s representatives, including its envoy to the United Nations, condemned the strike as a brutal attack on civilians that primarily killed schoolchildren and urged global action against what they call unlawful aggression. Iranian officials have repeatedly blamed U.S. and Israeli forces for the tragedy.
In response, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it was not immediately aware of any operations in the school’s vicinity and that it was reviewing the claims. The U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) also said it was looking into the reports and that civilian protection was a priority, though both sides have so far avoided directly confirming responsibility for the strike.
Independent verification of the number of victims and the exact circumstances of the bombing is still pending due to restricted access to the site and wartime information controls inside Iran. Visuals circulated on social media show extensive damage and rescue teams working amid rubble, but agencies caution that details remain unverified.
The dispute over what happened reflects the wider fog of war in the intensifying Middle East conflict, with conflicting narratives emerging from Iranian state sources and U.S.–Israeli authorities as international concern grows over civilian casualties.
