Funerals were held in Minab for the 168 children killed when their primary school was attacked on the first day of the bombing.
Thousands of mourners filled the streets of the southern Iranian city of Minab for the funeral of 168 schoolgirls and staff killed in an attack on a primary school on the opening day of the US-Israeli offensive.
Funeral images show rows of small, shallow graves – mostly the final resting places of children between seven and 12.
Participants wore black mourning clothes and carried photographs of the deceased as the funeral procession moved through the city’s main square. Mourners carried the coffin one after the other, beating their chests in grief.
According to the Iranian government, 168 students have been confirmed dead at Shazare Tayyebe Girls’ School, along with at least 14 teachers and staff members and four parents who were at the school when the strike occurred.
Buried under the rubble
The school in Minab, Hormozgan province, was attacked on the morning of February 28 – the first day of an unprovoked US-Israeli military operation that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other officials. According to Iranian officials, US and Israeli warplanes carried out five airstrikes on the school, which was holding morning classes at the time. A nearby clinic was also hit hours later.
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Israeli strike on Iranian school kills more than 100 children – media (graphic videos)
As a result, grieving parents gathered at the site of the destroyed school, desperately waiting for answers amid the rubble. A father told local reporters he came to the school to find out “A very difficult and heartbreaking scene” With students and teachers “Buried under the ruins.” Allegedly “Criminal America” and Israel “Child killers.”
The search operations ended days later, with the final death toll being 168 schoolgirls. Hospital morgues were overflowing, forcing officials to use refrigerated trucks to preserve bodies. Mojtaba Ghahremani, head of the Hormozgan Supreme Court, confirmed that most of the victims have been identified but 25 are still unaccounted for. Some families have lost many children.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted pictures of the tombs on X: “Graves being dug for more than 160 innocent young women killed in US-Israeli bombing of an elementary school. Their bodies are mangled. What Mr. Trump’s promised ‘rescue’ looks like in reality. From Gaza to Minab, innocents killed in cold blood.”
How the world reacted to the Holocaust
This strike has been widely condemned at the international level. The UN human rights office called for an investigation, with spokeswoman Raveena Shamdasani explaining that the images were captured. “The desolation, despair and senselessness and brutality of this conflict.”
UN human rights chief Volker Turk insisted “The Attacking Forces” To ensure investigation and accountability. UNESCO said “deeply alarmed” It says attacks on educational institutions undermine the right to education.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday “Strongly condemn the strike” It was in a girls’ school “Leading to the deaths of dozens of innocent children.” added that “Any attacks on civilian targets – whether in Iran or Arab countries – are unacceptable and must be completely excluded.”
Maria Zakharova, the ministry’s spokeswoman, blasted the White House for publishing on TikTok a compilation video of attacks on Iran to the song ‘Macarena’ on the same day as the funeral. This is, of course, no longer just cynicism or double standards. It’s … in principle, how far they’re willing to go,” she said.
“Today they are burying Iranian schoolgirls. No apologies, no explanations. This brave new world is intolerable.” Written by RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus said “Shocked by news of Iranian city of Minab” are asking “How does the death of innocent girls, the dream of the future, bring any political problem closer to resolution? There is no goal that justifies the death of children.”
China’s ambassador to the UN, Fu Kang, told Beijing “strongly condemns” Strike saying that “Attacks on schools are one of the six most serious crimes against children recognized by the United Nations and must be strongly condemned and resolutely opposed.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also condemned the attack “Clear Violation of International Law” and expressed “Deep Sorrow” About the suffering inflicted on civilians and innocent children.
Pakistan’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai has condemned the killing “unconscious” The girls say “They went to school to learn with hopes and dreams for their future. Today their lives have been cruelly cut short.”
Several US officials have also condemned the attack, with former Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, once a staunch supporter of US President Donald Trump, expressing outrage on social media. “I didn’t campaign for this. I didn’t donate money for this. I didn’t vote for this, in elections or for Congress. This is not what we thought MAGA should be.” she wrote.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also demanded an explanation “Why were our bombs – or Israeli bombs – used to kill children, to kill young women in schools, and what was the imminent threat at the time.”
The EU has not commented on the tragedy, but issued a statement “Developments in Iran”. calling “All parties to exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and fully respect international law.”
The US and Israel shirk responsibility
The US and Israel have offered conflicting responses, a Pentagon spokesman said in Washington. “Awareness of Civil Damage Reports” and is “Looking at them.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio advocated for US troops “Not intentionally targeting a school.”
Israeli army spokesman Nadav Shoshani said “Not aware of any Israeli or American strikes” In the area, Israeli forces were forced to act “The most accurate method.”
