Minab School Strike Leaves Families in Lasting Grief

The destruction of Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, southern Iran, has become one of the deadliest civilian tragedies of the recent US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Months after the attack, teachers, rescue workers, and grieving families continue to live with the devastating consequences.

Amaineh Nademi, a 33-year-old primary school teacher, walks through the ruins of the school where she taught first-grade girls. Parts of the building remain standing, but much of it has collapsed into rubble. She recalls where each classroom, office, and prayer room once stood, saying the school is now a place marked by loss and sorrow.

The strike occurred on 28 February during the opening hours of the conflict. According to the Minab prosecutor’s office, 156 people were killed, including 120 children, a pregnant woman, and her unborn baby. It remains the deadliest reported single attack on civilians during the war.

Investigations by independent experts suggest the school was struck while military targets nearby were also under attack. The school sits next to a compound linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which satellite images show was hit multiple times during the operation.

Although the United States has not officially accepted responsibility, several American media reports, citing military investigators, indicate the strike may have been carried out unintentionally after the school was mistakenly identified as part of a military site.

Teachers Recall the Day of the Attack

Amaineh says the school day began normally. Because it was the holy month of Ramadan, students gathered for Quran recitation before returning to their classrooms.

As news of attacks across Iran spread, school officials decided to close early and contacted parents to collect their children. Only five students remained in Amaineh’s classroom when explosions were heard nearby.

She says she stepped into the corridor before rushing back to her pupils. Moments later, the building was hit.

The blast threw both teacher and students across the classroom. Thick smoke quickly filled the room, making it impossible to see clearly or breathe. Amaineh remembers hearing more explosions, children crying, and the building collapsing around them.

Despite her injuries, she managed to help several children reach rescuers below before escaping through fire and debris.

She later learned that many students, teachers, and staff members had died, including colleagues she had worked with for years.

Rescue Teams Faced a Devastating Scene

Emergency responders arrived within minutes of the explosion.

Red Crescent rescue worker Reza Besharati says roads leading to the school were packed with desperate families searching for their children.

Rescuers searched through the collapsed building hoping to find survivors, but the destruction was overwhelming. Reza says many victims could only be identified by personal belongings or clothing because of the severity of the blast.

He recalls the emotional pleas of parents searching for their children and says the memories of that day continue to affect him, leaving him unable to sleep for several nights after the incident.

Investigation Continues

The circumstances surrounding the strike remain under investigation.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously said American forces do not intentionally target civilians and confirmed that an internal investigation had been launched. However, the findings have not yet been made public.

Reports from US media suggest preliminary investigations point to outdated intelligence that may have incorrectly classified the school as part of a military facility.

Satellite imagery and video analysis indicate that both the nearby IRGC compound and the school were struck during the operation.

Historical satellite images also show the school has operated independently from the military compound since 2016, with separate entrances and facilities.

US military officials say the investigation remains ongoing.

Families Continue to Mourn

Not far from the damaged school, many of the victims have been buried in a local cemetery.

Every evening, relatives gather to pray and remember children and teachers whose lives were lost.

Among them is Masoumeh Mehran Shekhabadi, whose nine-year-old daughter, Setayesh, died in the strike.

She says she rushed to the school after hearing the explosion but found only destruction. Her daughter’s body was identified hours later through the socks she had been wearing.

Setayesh had dreamed of becoming a teacher, often pretending to teach her dolls at home, her mother recalls.

Many parents say their grief remains overwhelming as they continue to seek answers about how such a tragedy occurred.

A Symbol of Civilian Loss

The attack on Minab’s primary school has become a powerful symbol of the civilian cost of the conflict.

Iranian officials have repeatedly cited the incident during international discussions, while the tragedy has also sparked debate among Iranians with differing political views about the war.

For teacher Amaineh Nademi, the memories remain impossible to escape. She regularly visits the graves of her former students, remembering children who left home carrying only schoolbags, notebooks, and dreams of learning.