play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedOpinionSportVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftUS-Israel war on IranLive trackerCould the US deploy troops to Iran?Iran’s weaponsCould Iran be using China's BeiDou system?A simple guide to Irancaret-rightNews|US-Israel war on IranUS responsible for deadly attack on Iranian school: Amnesty InternationalRights group says Tomahawk missile likely used in Minab school strike that killed at least 170 people, mostly children. Listen to this article | 4 minsinfoRights advocates have pointed to the February 28 attack on a primary school in Minab, Iran, as evidence of potential war crimes being committed by Israel and the United States in their war against the country [File: Mohamed Messara/EPA]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 16 Mar 202616 Mar 2026Click here to share on social mediashare2Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoThe United States is responsible for an attack on an Iranian primary school that killed at least 170 people, most of them children, Amnesty International has said in a new investigation, urging accountability for the assault. The rights group said on Monday that a US-manufactured Tomahawk missile was likely used in the attack on the school in the southern city of Minab on February 28.
“Tomahawk missiles are used exclusively by US forces in this conflict and are precision-guided missiles,” it said. Using satellite imagery, video footage and interviews with experts, Amnesty said its investigation showed the school was “directly struck” alongside a dozen other structures in an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) compound. “This points to a failure by US forces to take feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm in carrying out the attack, which is a serious breach of international humanitarian law,” the organisation said.
“The fact that the school building was directly targeted and was previously part of the IRGC compound raises concerns that US forces may have relied on outdated intelligence and failed in their obligation to do everything feasible to verify that the intended target was a military objective.” Rights advocates have pointed to the Minab attack as evidence of potential war crimes being committed by Israel and the US in their war on Iran, which legal experts say was launched late last month in violation of international law. While Washington has said it is investigating the incident, US President Donald Trump’s administration faces growing calls to carry out a thorough probe and ensure accountability for what happened. United Nations experts have described the school attack as “a grave assault on children” while US Democratic lawmakers have urged the Trump administration to “provide clear answers to the American public and Congress about how and why this tragedy unfolded”.
As the US-Israeli war on Iran continues, experts have raised alarm about comments made by senior US officials, appearing to disregard international law.
