UNHRC Debate: Iran Accuses US and Israel of Targeting Girls' School

Iran has sharply accused the United States and Israel of committing war crimes, following an alleged aerial attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ School in Minab, southern Iran, which reportedly killed more than 175 people. The accusations were made by Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi during an urgent debate at the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Speaking at the session, Araghchi described the attack as a “calculated” and “phased” operation, rejecting claims that it was accidental. “This cruel attack is but the visible tip of a far bigger iceberg… no one can believe that the attack on the school was anything other than deliberate and intentional,” he said, calling it both a “war crime” and a “crime against humanity.”

The Iranian minister alleged that the school strike was part of a broader campaign targeting civilian infrastructure across the country. According to Tehran, over 600 schools have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 1,000 students and teachers have been killed or injured. Hospitals, ambulances, and residential areas were also reportedly hit in what Iran called a pattern of deliberate civilian targeting.

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Araghchi criticised statements from U.S. officials that he said sought to justify the strikes, calling them “contradictory” and emphasizing that such remarks “could not elude their responsibility.” He linked the current escalation to the breakdown of diplomatic efforts over Iran’s nuclear programme, alleging that the conflict began on February 28 during ongoing negotiations. “They betrayed diplomacy… by torpedoing the negotiating table,” he said.

Iran also tied the attacks to what it described as a broader pattern of regional aggression, citing conflicts in Palestine and Lebanon. Araghchi called on the international community to hold the alleged perpetrators accountable and to condemn the attacks. “You all need to call out the aggressors and let them know that the community of States… hold them accountable for the abhorrent crimes,” he told UNHRC delegates.

Emphasizing that Iran “has never sought war,” the minister stated that the country would continue to defend itself “as long as needed.” Tehran’s intervention at the UNHRC marks one of its strongest statements on the ongoing hostilities and signals an intensified push for international recognition of the attacks on civilian targets.

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