The number of pupils reportedly killed in a strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran has risen to 40, according to local media.
The attack occurred in Minab, located in Hormozgan province, during a wave of strikes carried out early Saturday by the United States and Israel. Initial reports had placed the death toll at five.
According to Al Jazeera, citing Iran’s Fars News Agency, the casualty figure has now climbed significantly. It remains unclear whether the strike on the school was conducted by US or Israeli forces.
The school attack was part of a broader military campaign launched days after nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
In response, Iran carried out retaliatory strikes that reportedly damaged a nine-storey building in northern Israel. Channel 12, as quoted by Al Jazeera, said Israeli defence systems intercepted the incoming missiles, but falling debris struck the building, leaving one man with minor injuries.
Air raid sirens continue to sound across Israel, with authorities urging residents to seek shelter. Schools, airports, and public facilities have been closed. Iran has also shut its airspace and suspended activities in schools and other public institutions.
Iran’s National Security Council has advised residents of the capital, Tehran, to temporarily relocate if possible to avoid potential harm from ongoing strikes.
The current escalation began earlier on Saturday with coordinated US and Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting retaliatory action targeting Israel and US military installations across the Middle East. One fatality has been confirmed in the United Arab Emirates following Iran’s missile strikes.
Several Middle Eastern nations affected by the retaliatory attacks have condemned the escalation.