At least 40 people have been killed in an Israeli strike on a girls’ primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, located in Hormozgan province. Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA confirmed the updated death toll on Saturday.
According to IRNA, the attack—which claimed the lives of young students—has plunged the country into mourning. Iranian authorities have ordered a full investigation into the incident and instructed security agencies to reinforce protection measures around educational institutions and other civilian facilities.
The school in Minab has now become one of the central symbols of the latest escalation between Iran and Israel, as tensions between the two countries continue to rise.
Iranian officials strongly condemned the strike, calling it a blatant violation of international law and an “assault on innocent children.”
Meanwhile, according to Al Jazeera, multiple explosions have been reported across parts of Iran in recent days as Israel carries out a series of strikes on Iranian territory amid the rapidly intensifying regional conflict.