Iran’s Deputy Justice Minister Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Ghamami condemns the deadly attack on a primary school as a war crime and a crime against humanity
(HYDERABAD) On 28 February 2026 the US and Israeli’s regime launched unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran and military attacks have been directed against civilian objects including schools, hospitals and relief personnel leading to martyrdom of dozens of innocent civilians.
On the first day of aggression, deliberate and wanton attack against the Shajareh Tayyebeh, a primary school in Minab, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran was struck by the United States and Israeli regimes. The attack, which occurred during the busiest school hour, led to martyrdom of 156 civilians including 120 schoolgirls and schoolboys aged 7 to 13, 26 teachers, 7 parents and 2 others and injured more than 100 other civilians The school was struck twice by missiles including some AI-equipped Tomahawk missiles while 264 students were inside, resulting in the complete destruction of the building. Rescue operations continued into the following day, with many bodies recovered dismembered and some remaining unidentifiable.
The attack represents one of the most tragic and horrifying scenes of this war. Each of these innocent school girls and school boys, with their dreams and hopes, perished under the rubble caused by the bombardment. This attack displays unprecedented brutality, targeting a place of learning and innocent young lives-an act that shocks the collective conscience of humanity.
In an official response, Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Ghamami, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Justice stated: “America attacked this school with Tomahawk missiles, despite it being a purely educational institution with no defensive activities. The School had no affiliation with any armed or defensive site, thereby precluding any plausible claim of legitimate military targeting. The attack has drawn widespread condemnation from UN officials, human rights activists, and legal scholars. He further noted that the school operated in two shifts (morning and afternoon) and that the attack was carried out in two phases, compounding the casualty toll.
Military experts confirmed the school was hit by Tomahawk cruise missiles—precision-guided weapons equipped with AI, with an accuracy of under 5 meters. These missiles are fitted with high-resolution cameras and advanced microprocessors that continuously identify the target’s nature during flight. If a targeting error is detected, the system is designed to abort or redirect the missile before impact. But it was the case as it was targeted deliberately.
Only the U.S. military uses this system in the region and recovered missile fragments bore “Made in the U.S.A.” and Raytheon markings incontrovertible forensic evidence which directly implicating the U.S. forces and refuting any U.S. denial of responsibility.
There are multiple independent findings indicate that the barbaric attack on the primary school was deliberate:
Double-tap strike pattern
The attack occurred in two phases: the first at 10:23- 11:40 AM during school hours and the second later that afternoon, precisely when rescue teams had gathered to help survivors. This “double-tap” tactic is another piece of evidence for a deliberate attack. This tactic is a recognized method to maximize casualties and obstruct relief efforts.
Clearly civilian identity since 2016
Satellite images and public records show the site had been a civilian school since 2016, with separate fencing, playgrounds, and pink-and-blue walls adorned with children’s murals—unmistakable even from space.
Prior U.S. intelligence awareness
U.S. databases had reportedly identified the building as a school since 2015. Striking at 10:45 AM—peak attendance time—demonstrates calculated timing, not an operational error.
Therefore, the exclusive use of the U.S. precision weapons with onboard visual verification, physical evidence, the double-tap tactic, the school’s obvious civilian nature, and prior U.S. intelligence, all converged to prove this was a deliberate attack on a civilian target. Claims of “mistaken identity” are baseless and unfounded.
Ghamami condemned the attack as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law, in defiance of widely accepted international instruments. He reiterated that under international humanitarian law, the attack satisfies the criteria for war crimes as defined in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. These include willful killing (Article 8(2)(a)(i)), intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population not taking part in hostilities (Article 8(2)(b)(i)), and intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects, namely, a non-military educational facility (Article 8(2)(b)(ii)). As such, the attack constitutes a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949.
The attack also constitutes breach of Article 52 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 which prohibits attacks on civilian objects. Schools are civilian objects by nature, and IHL presumes they are not military objectives unless they effectively contribute to military action—a condition not met here.
Beyond the violations of principles of distinction (failing to distinguish between civilians and combatants) and precaution (failing to take all feasible measures to avoid civilian harm), the attack also violates the principle of proportionality. Even if the school had been considered a legitimate military target—which it was not—the anticipated incidental civilian harm (dozens of children killed and injured) would be clearly excessive in relation to any conceivable concrete and direct military advantage. Thus, the attack is disproportionate and constitutes a war crime under international law.
Turning to International Human Rights Law (IHRL), the following rights were flagrantly violated:
Right to Life: The deliberate killing of children constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of life.
Right to Education: The destruction of a functioning school and the killing of students directly infringed upon the right to access education in safety.
Right to Security of Person: The attack created a pervasive climate of terror, violating the right to live free from fear and physical harm.
Ghamami described 28 February as a national tragedy and emphasized that the attack was not an isolated incident but part of a broader strategy targeting civilian infrastructure. He confirmed that among the 26 teachers, a pregnant educator was also martyred. Parents, upon arriving at the scene, faced horrific scenes of dismembered bodies, complicating identification efforts. Despite their grief, he added that public morale remained resolute, and the injured were swiftly transferred to Shahid Absalan Clinic with full public cooperation.
In another part of the interview, he held both the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Israeli regime accountable, stating that the attack also resulted in the martyrdom of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, further testing the patience of the Iranian people.
He called on UN member states to impose comprehensive sanctions on the US and stressed neutral or ambiguous statements in the face of such atrocities constitute a profound injustice to the victims and survivors.
In his concluding remarks, Ghamami called upon the international community to hold accountable those who commanded, aided, abetted or otherwise contributed to the commission of war crime and crime against humanity. He further reiterated that while no measure can fully heal or redress grave suffering inflicted by such a reprehensible act, accountability remains an indispensable step toward upholding the principles and rules of international humanitarian law including those reflected in 1949 Geneva Conventions. He reaffirmed that Iran will continue its legal and diplomatic efforts alongside justice-seeking nations worldwide to ensure that the perpetrators of the crimes against the Minab school are brought to justice in accordance with international law.
