On February 28, 2026, an airstrike struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in the city of Minab in southern Iran during the opening phase of military hostilities between Iran and a coalition involving the United States and Israel. Iranian authorities reported that more than 150 people were killed in the attack, including a large number of schoolgirls and teachers. Iranian state media reported casualty figures ranging from approximately 165 to 175 deaths. The strike occurred in a district located near facilities linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The United States and Israel did not claim responsibility for the strike. U.S. officials stated that the incident was under investigation and said that American forces would not deliberately target a school. International organizations and human rights groups called for an independent investigation into the incident due to the high number of civilian casualties.
On March 7, 2026, United States President Donald Trump addressed the incident while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. When asked whether the United States had conducted the strike, Trump stated that he believed Iran was responsible for the bombing. Trump said, “In my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran,” adding that Iranian munitions were inaccurate.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was present during the exchange with reporters, stated that the U.S. government was still investigating the origin of the strike. As of that date, no official investigation had publicly concluded which military force was responsible for the bombing.
