Reports of a deadly incident at a girls’ primary school in Iran’s Hormozgan Province have triggered international concern, as officials confirmed that the death toll has risen to 165.
Authorities said on Monday through the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency that emergency teams had concluded operations in the southern city of Minab, where the school is located. In addition to the fatalities, 95 people were reported injured.
The government in Tehran has attributed the strike to the United States and Israel. However, Israel has rejected the allegation.
Speaking on Sunday, Israeli military spokesperson, Nadav Shoshani, said there was no knowledge of any U.S. or Israeli operations in the area at the time in question. He added that Israel had recently conducted a separate precision operation over 1,000 miles away, without providing further details.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern over reports of the incident, including the strike on the school in Minab. In a statement issued by its German office in Cologne, UNICEF stressed that attacks affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as schools, violate international law.
The agency called for an immediate halt to hostilities and urged all parties to respect international humanitarian and human rights obligations, particularly the protection of children and the safeguarding of essential services.
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