Iran: The United States and Israel Are Responsible for the Killing of Minab School Students

Tehran - BORNA - Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, made the remarks on Monday (March 9) during the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

“Today, the people of Iran are mourning the deaths of 168 innocent schoolgirls who were brutally massacred on the first day of the illegal attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran’s territorial integrity,” Bahreini said.

The ambassador emphasized that the ruthless targeting of a school in Minab on February 28, which killed girls aged 7 to 12, constitutes a war crime.

“The merciless targeting of the Minab school and the killing of young girls between the ages of 7 and 12 is a war crime prohibited under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,” he stated.

Bahreini added that there is no ambiguity about responsibility, saying:
“Without any doubt, responsibility for this act lies with the United States and Israel as the aggressors. The illegal attacks against Iran are condemned, and targeting civilians—including schools and children—is an extremely reprehensible and abhorrent act.”

During the session, representatives of several international bodies—including the Deputy High Commissioner of the United Nations Human Rights Office, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the International Committee of the Red Cross—condemned attacks on schools during wars and armed conflicts.

The Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and the representative of the Committee on the Rights of the Child also expressed regret over the tragic incident, referring to reports that more than 160 children were killed at the Minab school.

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