The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Sunday denounced a missile attack that leveled a girls’ primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, describing the incident as a grave violation of international law amid intensifying regional unrest.
In a statement posted on social media, UNESCO said the strike on Saturday left at least 150 people dead and nearly 100 others injured.
The agency indicated that many of the casualties are believed to be students.
Emphasizing that educational facilities are safeguarded under international humanitarian law, UNESCO stated that “attacks against educational institutions endanger students and teachers and undermine the right to education.”
The condemnation echoed statements from other UN entities and senior officials, including Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who criticized both the continuing military assaults and Iran’s retaliatory operations across parts of the Middle East.
Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and UN Messenger of Peace, also reacted on the social media platform X, saying she was “heartbroken and appalled” by the strike, adding “the killing of civilians, especially children, is unconscionable, and I condemn it unequivocally.”
Calling for an immediate halt to the violence, she wrote that “all states and parties must uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and safeguard schools. Every child deserves to live and learn in peace.”
