Amnesty International: U.S. Must Be Held Accountable for Minab School Strike

Amnesty International, in a detailed investigative report, said it has verified an “illegal U.S. attack” on the Shajareh Tayyibah School in Minab, southern Iran, and called for accountability from all those involved in the “planning and execution” of the strike.

The organization said its investigation into the incident shows that the U.S. did not take all necessary precautions to avoid civilian harm, which it says amounts to a violation of international humanitarian law.

It added that those “responsible for the planning and execution of the illegal U.S. attack on a school in Minab” must be held accountable, and urged the United States to carry out a swift and transparent investigation.

Minab, located in Hormozgan Province near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, has been a key target during the conflict due to the presence of IRGC naval bases and missile sites. These military installations are often located close to civilian areas, increasing the risk of “collateral damage.”

According to Amnesty International, “The evidence gathered by our organization indicates that the school building was targeted with a direct missile hit, along with 12 other structures within an IRGC base adjacent to the school.”

The organization further stated: “The fact that the school building was directly targeted and was previously part of the IRGC complex raises concerns that U.S. forces may have relied on outdated intelligence and failed to use all possible means to confirm the military nature of the target.”

The strike on the Shajareh Tayyibah School killed 168 people, including 110 children.

It is now being described as the deadliest civilian incident of the war so far. Iranian state media has compared it to the 1988 downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by the U.S. Navy. The large number of child casualties has also turned “Minab” into a powerful symbol in the regime’s domestic and international messaging.

U.S. officials, including the President and the Department of Defense, have said multiple times that investigations into the incident are ongoing. They have also maintained that the United States “never deliberately” targets civilians.

At the same time, Amnesty International criticized officials of the Islamic Republic, saying the government has used the suffering of the victims’ families and the children who survived the attack for its own propaganda purposes.