Dozens Killed in Air Strikes on Southern Iran as US–Israel Campaign Intensifies

At least 51 people have been killed in an air strike on the southern Iranian city of Minab, as the United States and Israel continue their military campaign against Iran, according to Iranian state media.

The attack reportedly took place in Minab, located in Hormozgan province along Iran’s southern coast. Iranian authorities say an Israeli strike hit a primary school, causing heavy casualties. State broadcasters described scenes of devastation at the site, with emergency teams working through the rubble and a large number of people reported injured.

Iran’s official news outlets accused Israel of targeting civilian infrastructure, claiming that the building struck was an elementary school. They said many of the victims were civilians, though independent verification of the claims has not yet been possible.

The semi-official Mehr News Agency also reported that two students were killed in a separate strike in the capital, Tehran. Details of that incident remain limited.

Washington and Tel Aviv have previously stated that their operations are focused solely on Iranian military facilities and strategic infrastructure. Both governments have maintained that their targets are linked to Iran’s military capabilities.

However, reporting from Tehran by Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Vall suggested that civilian areas had also been affected. He said there were indications that residential neighbourhoods in the capital had come under attack, contradicting official claims that only military sites were being targeted.

There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the specific allegations regarding the strike in Minab. Casualty figures provided by Iranian state media have not been independently confirmed.

The reported deaths mark a sharp escalation in the conflict and are likely to intensify international concern over the growing humanitarian toll of the fighting.