An airstrike on a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28 has sparked ongoing controversy and calls for accountability more than four months after the incident. The attack, which killed over 150 children, remains the deadliest reported strike in the broader conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, with investigations into the strike and its circumstances still unresolved.

The Shajareh Tayyeybeh school, located within a compound housing an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base, primarily served children from families connected to the IRGC, although some students belonged to the Sunni Baluch minority community with no ties to the paramilitary group. Satellite imagery indicates multiple munitions carrying hundreds of pounds of explosives hit the school compound, causing one building housing the school to collapse. Eyewitnesses described harrowing scenes of rescue efforts amidst the rubble, with parents and local residents recovering bodies and body parts. Official Iranian reports initially cited a death toll of 150, which later rose to 168, with the majority of victims being children alongside some teachers and parents.

The attack quickly became a focal point of dispute over responsibility. Iranian authorities have attributed the strike to the United States, while U.S. officials and President Donald Trump have denied involvement. A senior U.S. official acknowledged that the American military had information shortly after the incident indicating the site had been struck, but no official admission or public release of a detailed review has followed. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon is investigating the matter, but that the report would be released "when the time is right."

Critics have highlighted potential shortcomings in the U.S. targeting and civilian protection policies. According to a former Pentagon official, the bombing reflected a broader shift under the Trump administration, which scaled back efforts to maintain and update "no-strike lists" intended to prevent civilian casualties. For instance, in 2024, Hegseth reportedly halted the updating of no-strike lists, leaving them out of date as conflict intensified. An analyst had reportedly identified the Shajareh Tayyeybeh school as a civilian site seven years prior, raising questions about the adequacy of targeting protocols.

Iranian state media tightly controlled access to the strike site and has publicly presented grieving families, though no comprehensive list of victims has been released. Reports indicate that the victims were buried in small, unmarked graves, compounding concerns about transparency surrounding the incident.

The lack of an official, conclusive account from the United States and resistance from Iranian authorities to allow independent verification have left many questions unanswered. As pressure mounts internationally for clarity and accountability, the tragedy in Minab underscores the complex and often opaque nature of civilian casualties in ongoing conflicts, as well as the challenges of balancing military objectives with the protection of noncombatants.