Iran Accuses US and Israel of Deadly School Airstrikes, Supreme Leader Killed
Iranian officials have claimed that airstrikes conducted by the United States and Israel have resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people, primarily at two schools, marking a devastating escalation in regional hostilities. The attacks, which Iranian authorities label as acts of aggression, have also claimed the life of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, ending his over three-decade rule.
School Bombings in Minab and Tehran
According to reports from Iranian state media, an all-girls primary school in Minab, located in the Hormozgan province, was struck during an operation referred to as Operation Epic Fury on Saturday. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shared images on social media depicting locals sifting through rubble as the building smouldered. Araghchi stated that "dozens of innocent children have been murdered at this site alone", with fatalities later rising to 108 as rescue workers cleared the area, as confirmed by the provincial media agency Mizan.
Araghchi emphasized that the school was bombed in broad daylight while packed with young pupils, resulting in 63 additional injuries. In a separate incident, two more students were killed in an airstrike on a school east of Tehran, according to Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency.
International Condemnation and Retaliatory Strikes
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei shared footage showing locals wailing at the attack scenes, condemning the actions as "an egregious, unwarranted act of aggression" and a blatant crime. He called for immediate action from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to address what he described as a grave injustice. Iran's ambassador to the UN, Amir-Saeid Iravani, further alleged during an emergency Security Council meeting that the attacks constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity, citing hundreds of civilian casualties and deliberate targeting of infrastructure.
In retaliation, Iran launched strikes targeting Israel and several Gulf nations, including Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Reports indicate that a hypersonic missile breached Israel's Iron Dome defence system, exploding in Tel Aviv and causing one fatality and multiple injuries. Additionally, airstrikes on airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi resulted in about a dozen injuries and one death from falling debris.
Casualty Toll and Leadership Loss
The total death toll from the attacks in Iran has risen to at least 201, with 747 people injured, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. Among the deceased is Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose death marks the end of a rule characterized by political oppression. His daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law were also killed in the strikes, intensifying the human cost of the conflict.
This series of events underscores the severe humanitarian and geopolitical implications of the escalating tensions between Iran, the US, and Israel, with civilian areas bearing the brunt of the violence.
