Iran said the strikes hit a school and killed more than 100 people, but neither the United States nor Israel confirmed any such attack.
Enemies of the country attacked a school in the southern town of Minab on Saturday, Iranian officials said.
Israel said it was not aware of any US or Israeli attack on a school in Iran, and Washington said it was looking into the reports.
The AFP was unable to enter the location to independently verify the toll or the circumstances surrounding the event.
Iranian authorities must give express approval to foreign media organizations that want to report outside Tehran.
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Here’s what we know:
Checked footage
Footage shot from the parking lot showed black smoke billowing from the damaged building, which was decorated with murals featuring drawings of crayons, children and apples.
AFP geolocated the clip to a building in Minab in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province that appeared to be a school, although the nature of the site could not be independently verified.
A second video, reviewed by outlets including the “New York Times,” showed a similarly damaged structure from a different angle.
Disturbed bystanders in civilian clothes can be seen gathered near the colorful murals as seen in the first video.
Iranian state television identified Shazare Tayebeh as a girls’ primary school in Minab.
AFP could not independently verify the date the footage was shot.
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What Iran Says
On Saturday, an Iranian regional official said Israeli strikes hit a school in Hormozgan, near the strategic sea route of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to state television, the county governor identified Shazare Tayyebe Primary School in Minab as the primary school.
The Iranian Red Crescent later put the death toll from the strike at 108, a steady rise from an initial estimate of five provided by a provincial official.
“The death toll of students at Minab School has reached 108 and relief and debris removal operations are still going on,” said the agency’s spokesperson.
On Sunday, the governor put the toll at 165 while announcing the end of the search operation.
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Israel does not know
For its part, Israel’s military said on Sunday it was not aware of any US or Israeli attack on the school.
“There is no known Israeli or American attack there at this stage… We are operating in a very precise manner,” military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters.
The US is reviewing the reports
AFP contacted US Central Command (CENTCOM), which did not immediately respond for comment.
The Pentagon also did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a CENTCOM spokesman was quoted by the “New York Times”: “We are aware of reports of civilian casualties from ongoing military operations. We take these reports seriously and are investigating them.
“The protection of civilians is paramount and we will continue to take all available precautions to minimize the risk of unintended harm.”
A human rights group
Norway-based rights group Hengao said it was investigating the identities of students allegedly killed in the strike.
In a statement, Shazare Tayyebeh School was conducting its morning session at the time of the incident, which was reportedly attended by around 170 students.
(With FRANCE 24 AFP)
(tags to translate)Middle East
