Iran Shares Image of Graves After Deadly School Attack in Minab

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shared a stark aerial image on social media showing rows of freshly dug graves, which he claimed were being prepared for more than 160 young girls killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on a girls' elementary school in the southern city of Minab. The photograph depicts an open dirt field marked with white chalk rectangles for burial plots, alongside excavators and mourners, underscoring the scale of the reported tragedy amid escalating military conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran.

The incident occurred on February 28, 2026, during a series of joint US and Israeli strikes targeting Iranian sites, which Iranian officials and state media described as indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure. According to Iranian reports, including from state television and local authorities, the strike hit the Shajare Tayyiba (or similar named) primary school for girls, resulting in at least 160 to 168 deaths—primarily schoolchildren—and dozens more injured. Bodies were said to have been severely mutilated by the bombardment. Araghchi condemned the attack in his post, stating, "These are graves being dug for more than 160 innocent young girls who were killed in the US-Israeli bombing of a primary school. Their bodies were torn to shreds."

In his message, the foreign minister drew a direct parallel to ongoing civilian suffering in Gaza, writing, "From Gaza to Minab, innocents murdered in cold blood." He further criticized US President Donald Trump, referring to the strike as the opposite of promised "rescue" efforts, and highlighted the hypocrisy amid international discussions on protecting children in conflict. Iran's mission in India echoed the sentiment, describing the graves as "small graves for little angels" and noting the victims were now "together in heaven, side by side."

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The US has denied deliberately targeting civilians or schools. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that American forces "would not deliberately target a school," while acknowledging the need to investigate the reported incident. The Israeli military has similarly indicated it is checking claims related to strikes in the Minab area. Independent verification of casualty figures remains challenging due to the ongoing conflict and restricted access, though organizations like UNESCO condemned the school bombing as a "grave violation of humanitarian law," with Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai expressing being "heartbroken and appalled."

This event has intensified global attention on civilian casualties in the widening US-Israel-Iran confrontation, which has also seen Iranian retaliatory missile strikes on regional targets, including hits near US interests. The Minab school strike ranks among the deadliest single incidents involving children reported so far in the escalation, prompting renewed calls for accountability and restraint from international bodies. As preparations for mass burials continue, the image shared by Araghchi has circulated widely, symbolizing the profound human cost of the conflict.

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