Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shared a heartbreaking photo on the“Their bodies were torn to pieces,” Araghchi wrote in a social media post on Monday, sharing photos of mourners gathered around a long, neat row of freshly dug graves. White chalk rectangles mark burial sites in open fields.
“These are the graves dug for the more than 160 innocent young girls killed in US-Israeli bombings. Their bodies were torn to pieces. This is what Mr. Trump’s promised ‘rescue’ looked like in reality. From Gaza to Minab, innocent people were murdered in cold blood,” Araghchi wrote.Minab school strikeIranian authorities said schools in the southern city of Minab were filled with primary school children at the time of the attack. According to official figures, more than 150 people, including children, were killed and at least 60 injured. These numbers have not been verified.Video confirmed by international media showed rescuers digging through collapsed concrete slabs, charred walls still standing amid the rubble and school bags being pulled from the rubble.At the United Nations, Iran described the attack as a deliberate attack on civilian infrastructure and called it a war crime and crimes against humanity.Neither the United States nor Israel has publicly confirmed that the school itself was targeted. U.S. Central Command said in a statement that it was aware of reports of civilian injuries and was reviewing the matter.“We take these reports seriously and are investigating them. The protection of civilians is vital and we will continue to take every possible precaution to minimize the risk of unintentional harm. ” the statement said, adding that there were currently insufficient verified facts to draw clear legal conclusions.
What does international law say?Under international humanitarian law, parties to an armed conflict must adhere to three core principles: distinction, proportionality and military necessity. They must also take all feasible precautions to minimize collateral damage to civilians.The principle of distinction requires belligerents to distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives. Civilians and civilian infrastructure – including schools and hospitals – are protected and may not be directly targeted. In case of doubt, an object must be assumed to be a civilian object. Children enjoy special protection under international law.However, civilian objects may lose their protected status if used for military purposes. Schools that serve as bases, command posts, or weapons sites may be considered legitimate military targets. There is currently no independent evidence that Minab schools are used for military activities.If a school were accidentally attacked during an attack on a nearby IRGC facility, the legality of the attack would depend on whether the expected civilian harm would be excessive relative to the specific military advantage gained. Commanders must also demonstrate that all feasible precautions were taken, including weapon selection and timing.
