Iran has held funerals for 32 children killed in a strike on a school in Minab on February 28, 2026, as officials confirmed the recovery of additional victims from the attack that killed at least 170 people, according to NewsFeed. The strike, which remains under investigation, has seen conflicting claims about responsibility emerging from political figures and media outlets.
Contradictory Claims Over Responsibility
US President Donald Trump asserted that Iran was responsible for the Minab strike, claiming, In my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.
This contradicted investigations by AP, CNN, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, which concluded – based on satellite imagery and other visual evidence – that the US likely destroyed a girls’ elementary school in Minab. Trump’s remarks were challenged by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who stated, We’re investigating it,
while emphasizing, The only side that targets civilians is Iran.
Trump interjected, saying, We think it was done by Iran, because they’re very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever.
Reuters cited two US officials as saying that American military investigators believe US forces were likely responsible for the strike on the school in Minab, noting that no final conclusions have been reached. The attack is described as the deadliest single strike in the US-Israeli war on Iran that was launched on February 28.
Iranian officials have framed the strike as part of a broader conflict, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) alleging Israeli responsibility for attacks on its personnel.
UN Condemns Attack as War on Civilians
The United Nations condemned the strike as a grave assault on children, on education, and on the future of an entire community,
stressing that civilians must never be treated as collateral.
This statement underscores the global outcry over the attack’s impact on non-combatants.
The UN’s statement followed a series of regional escalations, including an Israeli strike in Damascus on January 20, 2024, which killed five members of the IRGC, according to AFP. Funeral processions for three of the five victims were held in Tehran, with mourners carrying coffins draped in Iranian flag colors and a funeral dirge sounding. The strike, attributed to Israel by Iranian state media, killed 13 people, per the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The IRGC said its Iraq strike was in response to the recent vicious actions of the Zionist regime (Israel) which martyred the commanders of the Revolutionary Guards and the resistance front.
This retaliation followed an earlier strike in Syria that killed Razi Moussavi, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign operations arm, the Quds Force. A US defense official has told AFP that Israel carried out a strike in Beirut that killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh Al-Aruri in early January.
Ongoing Investigations and Regional Tensions
As investigations continue, the US military has not publicly confirmed its role in the Minab strike. The IRGC’s recent activities, including a reported strike on an Israeli intelligence headquarters
in Irbil, have further escalated regional tensions.
The attack has also intensified scrutiny of the US-Israeli campaign against Iran. The incident highlights the risks of civilian casualties in such operations, with the UN urging greater accountability.
In the broader context, the 2024 Damascus strike and its aftermath underscore the volatility of the region. The IRGC’s funeral for its slain members included a display of pictures of IRGC General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed three years ago by the United States. Meanwhile, Hezbollah blamed Israel for the killing of Wissam Tawil, its highest-ranking member since the war began between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas, as reported by AFP.
Sources: aljazeera.com, rt.com.
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