40 Students Killed After Strikes Hit Girls’ School in Iran Amid US-Israeli Operations

At least 40 students were killed and 45 others injured after a girls’ school in Minab city, Hormozgan province, was struck during coordinated US–Israeli military operations against Iran on Saturday, according to Iranian sources.

The attack marks one of the deadliest single incidents reported since the launch of Operation Roaring Lion by Israel and Operation Epic Fury by the United States.

Strike in Minab

The school is located in Minab, a city in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province. The region reportedly hosts facilities linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, though it remains unclear whether the school itself was directly targeted or caught in the blast radius of a nearby strike.

Visuals circulating from the site show extensive structural damage, debris scattered across the compound, and emergency personnel conducting rescue operations amid chaos and smoke.

Iranian authorities have not yet released detailed casualty lists but confirmed that dozens of students were among the victims.

Escalation After Coordinated Attacks

The strikes form part of a wider military campaign following stalled nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Reports indicate that Israeli and US operations targeted multiple strategic and leadership-linked sites across Iran. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were reportedly among intended targets, though Iranian officials have stated that Khamenei is safe and was moved to a secure location.

US President Donald Trump warned Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, stating it would face severe consequences otherwise. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the military action as necessary to remove what he termed an “existential threat.”

Iran’s Retaliation

In response, Iran launched missile and drone strikes targeting US-linked assets across the Gulf, including bases in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE. Several Middle Eastern countries subsequently closed their airspace, while international airlines suspended operations in the region.

Jordan confirmed intercepting projectiles passing through its airspace.

Civilian Impact and International Concern

The reported deaths of school students have intensified international concern over civilian casualties as hostilities expand. Humanitarian observers warn that further escalation could increase risks to non-combatants across the region.

Diplomatic efforts aimed at reviving nuclear talks appear to have stalled, with little indication of immediate de-escalation.

As military exchanges continue, the strike on the Minab girls’ school underscores the human cost of the rapidly widening conflict.