A devastating strike targets a school in Iran, claiming the lives of at least 80 children.
The scene unfolds amid what officials describe as the opening salvoes of what has been labeled by some as Trump’s “major combat operations,” as anticipated attacks arrive on multiple fronts.
Iranian parents, who had just dropped their children at morning classes, found themselves rushing back to school gates as bombs fell across the country in a coordinated US-Israeli attack.
One elementary school, according to Iran’s state media, was left in ruins. The IRNA news agency reported that at least 80 students at the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, in the south, were killed, with many more people unaccounted for.
A video circulating on social media appears to show the immediate aftermath: smoke billowing from cratered walls and debris scattered across the road, with hundreds of onlookers in visible distress and screams audible in the background. The Guardian could not independently verify the video’s claim or its origin at once, though Persian fact-checking service Factnameh cross-referenced the footage with other images of the site and deemed it authentic. Reuters also confirmed the clips as originating from the school.
The school sits adjacent to a Revolutionary Guards auxiliary facility. If the casualty figures hold, this bombing would mark the largest single civilian toll of the current US-led campaign.
Across Iran, people described a blend of fear and defiant hope as the bombardment continued. Some welcomed the long-anticipated strikes as a potential turning point against the regime, while others fear further civilian harm in a nation already bearing the brunt of prior violence.
In Tehran, residents sheltered indoors or hurried through traffic seeking their children as schools closed. Many had prepared for conflict in advance, stocking essential supplies and water.
Amir, a 37-year-old bakery owner in Tehran, expressed a cautious relief that government targets appeared hit, yet he worried about collateral damage. He said, “My worry is that innocent people will be killed.” Having relatives harmed during the regime’s crackdown on nationwide protests, he feared more bloodshed to come. “We’ve endured immense grief, but we don’t want to see body bags on the streets from US and Israeli strikes.”
The attacks arrive amid ongoing diplomatic talks between Iran and the United States, roughly seven weeks after Tehran’s crackdown on nationwide protests. Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) has documented thousands of deaths in the protests, with tens of thousands more under investigation.
Some mourners who lost friends or family members in the protests remained resolute. Mohsen, a 25-year-old IT worker in Tehran, remarked, “We fear more compatriots may be killed by these strikes, but I’ve also watched friends fall to the regime’s violence—like thousands of us.”
Moein, a 21-year-old University of Tehran student involved in the protests, reported hearing loud bangs near campus as bombs struck. He noted that two friends were killed during the crackdown. He questioned whether foreign intervention would spare civilians, asking, “When weapons come from the US, do they strike us more gently than when they come from the regime’s killing machines?”
Despite the fear, the atmosphere in the city was not in full panic. People said they had prepared for conflict by stocking up on essentials, and many reported limited access to state media, possibly due to cyber disruptions or overwhelmed websites.
The US and Israel launched the assault on a Saturday morning, with President Trump declaring the start of “major combat operations” against Iran and urging Iranians to oppose their government. In the weeks prior, the United States had bolstered its military presence in the Middle East in preparation for an escalation.
Mehnaz, a 27-year-old from Tehran, described mixed emotions: relief that government targets may be affected, tempered by fear of wider bloodshed. She lived near the presidential offices and the leadership’s administrative headquarters, and she observed that the initial strikes seemed to target areas close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s offices.
“It's a strange feeling,” Mehnaz said. “A mix of fear and hope that the regime might end.”
Note: Personal names have been changed to protect identities.
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