CNN reports that according to a report from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA), at least 742 civilians have been killed in Iran since the war began, including 176 children. Over 900 civilians have been reported injured, with at least 85 deaths occurring in the past 24 hours alone. The group has stated that it is in the process of verifying hundreds of additional reported fatalities.
The HRNA also reported significant damage to religious and residential buildings in the last 24 hours. Among the structures affected were a mosque in Karaj, a city near Tehran, multiple residential buildings, a governor's office south of the capital, and the Shahid Bahonar Pier in Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, Iran has claimed that hospitals in Tehran have been damaged, CNN reported.
Military targets were reportedly also hit during the same period, including the headquarters of the Kurdistan law enforcement command and the Kurdistan border guard command center in the western city of Sanandaj. An air base in Isfahan and an army base in Tehran were also reportedly damaged, according to HRNA.
CNN has noted that it cannot independently verify the accuracy of these reports, and HRNA has stated that their analysis is preliminary and subject to change as further information becomes available.
According to Meduza reports, on the first day of the war in the Middle East, February 28, a U.S. and Israeli missile strike hit the Iranian city of Minab, located 30-40 kilometers from the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school, where classes were taking place at the time.
The attack occurred between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. local time. According to Islamic traditions, weekdays in Iran begin on Saturday. Almost immediately after the strike, Iranian state media reported that 40 people were killed in the school at the time of the attack.
The district prosecutor in Minab confirmed that most of the victims were students, with additional fatalities among school staff and parents.
According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, 148 people were killed, and 95 others were injured in the attack. The exact number of children among the victims has not been clarified.
On March 1, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that 140 children were among those killed.
On March 3, preparations were underway in Minab for the burial of the victims. The funerals are scheduled for that day.
BBC points out that conducting an independent verification of the official death and injury tolls is currently impossible, as international organizations are often denied visas to enter Iran, severely limiting information gathering in the country.
Neither U.S. nor Israeli officials have commented on the strike in Minab. U.S. military officials told The Washington Post they are "investigating" reports of the attack.
