At least 153 people, including children, were killed after a reported missile strike hit a girls’ school in southern Iran, Iranian authorities said, blaming the United States and Israel for the attack.
According to Iranian officials, the strike hit a school in the town of Minab, located near a base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been targeted in previous attacks.
The US military’s United States Central Command said it was reviewing reports of the incident, while Israel’s military said it was not aware of any Israeli operations in the area.
Iran’s Red Crescent said at least 201 people have been killed and 747 injured in air strikes across Iran since Saturday. Red Cross and Red Crescent officials in Geneva said emergency response teams were dispatched to the school following the incident.
An official said the school in Hormozgan province was struck by three missiles and is located about 600 metres from the IRGC base.
The BBC has verified videos from the scene showing smoke rising from a damaged building as crowds gathered and people screamed in panic. However, the death toll could not be independently confirmed, as international media face severe restrictions on access to Iran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the incident, calling it a “barbaric act” and accusing the attackers of adding “another black page” to their record.
In a statement carried by US media, Centcom spokesman Tim Hawkins said the protection of civilians was a top priority and that all possible precautions were being taken to minimise unintended harm.
Iranian social media users reacted with anger, with some blaming foreign powers for the strike, while others held the Iranian authorities responsible, citing the lack of air raid warnings, shelters and internet access.
The attack came amid sustained US and Israeli air strikes on multiple Iranian cities, which continued into Sunday following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior commanders, sharply escalating tensions across the Middle East.
With inputs from BBC