UN special rapporteur describes Minab school attack as war crime Iranian official

UN special rapporteur describes Minab school attack as war crime: Iranian official

TEHRAN – A United Nations special rapporteur has characterized the February 28 US-Israeli attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, southern Iran, as a war crime and a crime of aggression, according to an Iranian judicial official.

Askar Jalalian, deputy justice minister for human rights and international affairs, said the attack on the school, which killed 168 children and teachers, constituted a deliberate and unjustifiable violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly Article 38, which requires the protection of children during armed conflicts.

He added that the strike also violated fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including the provisions of the Geneva Conventions governing the protection of civilians.

The attack took place on February 28, 2026, the first day of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. The Shajareh Tayyebeh school, located in Minab in Hormozgan Province, was struck while classes were in session.

The United Nations has separately documented the scale of the attack. UN human rights experts initially reported that at least 165 schoolgirls had been killed. Subsequent UN communications cited information indicating that at least 168 people, almost all women and girls, had died in the bombing. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also referred to 168 reported victims, including pupils, teachers and school staff.

Jalalian said Iran had submitted documentation concerning violations of children's rights to UN officials and pursued the case through international mechanisms, including the UN Human Rights Council.

He stressed that legal and diplomatic efforts must continue to establish accountability for the attack and ensure that those responsible are held to account.

The attack on the Minab school has drawn international attention. In March, UN experts called for an independent investigation, emphasizing that schools are civilian objects protected under international humanitarian law and that children must be safeguarded during armed conflict.

Human Rights Watch also called for the strike to be investigated as a possible war crime, citing evidence that the school was physically separated from a nearby military compound and had its own entrance.

source: tehrantimes.com