A deadly strike that hit an elementary school in southern Iran and killed scores of civilians has sparked student strikes and renewed scrutiny over the widening U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran.
Iranian officials say at least 168 people were killed when the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in the southern town of Minab was struck earlier this week. Many of the victims were children. The school is located near a compound used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, an area that had been targeted during recent military operations tied to the escalating regional conflict.
A video analysis published by The New York Times concluded the United States was most likely responsible for the strike. U.S. officials later told members of Congress in closed-door briefings that American forces were operating in the same section of Iran where the school was hit. According to two U.S. officials familiar with the briefings, administration officials acknowledged that Israel did not carry out the strike and did not provide an alternative explanation for the blast. The Pentagon said it is investigating.
The incident triggered school walkouts and student-led demonstrations in several Iranian cities. Participants gathered outside schools and universities to protest the attack and call attention to civilian casualties as the war continues.
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command said Iran’s rate of missile fire toward Israel and nearby Gulf targets has “gone down dramatically” as U.S. and Israeli forces target Iranian missile systems, security forces, and senior leadership.
Donald Trump said the military campaign will continue until Iran’s government is fundamentally changed. In an interview with NBC News, Trump also said he wants the United States involved in selecting Iran’s next leader after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a recent strike.
