Thousands of mourners gathered in the southern Iranian city of Minab to attend a heartbreaking mass funeral for 165 schoolgirls and staff members killed in a devastating strike on a primary school.

The tragedy occurred on February 28, 2026, when a missile strike destroyed the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ Elementary School during regular school hours. According to Iranian officials, the building collapsed after the explosion, trapping students and teachers beneath rubble. Most of the victims were girls between six and twelve years old.

Days later, the city of Minab fell silent as families gathered for the funeral procession. Rows of small coffins draped with photographs of the children were carried through the streets, while grieving parents, classmates, and teachers wept openly. Drone footage showed thousands of people filling public squares and funeral grounds to pay their respects.

The strike has become one of the deadliest single incidents of the ongoing conflict involving Iran. Iranian authorities blamed the attack on the United States and Israel, while U.S. officials said they are investigating the incident and insisted that civilian sites are not intentionally targeted.

International organizations, including the United Nations and UNESCO, have called for an independent investigation, emphasizing that attacks on schools and children violate international humanitarian law.

As the coffins were lowered into the ground, many mourners held signs bearing the names of the victims. The tragedy has sparked global outrage and renewed calls for greater protection of civilians in conflict zones.

For the families in Minab, however, the grief is deeply personal.
The smallest coffins carried the heaviest sorrow.