A strike destroyed the Al-Shajara Al-Tayyiba girls’ primary school in Minab, Hormozgan Province, Iran, on Feb. 28, 2026 [1].
The incident has sparked a diplomatic dispute over the nature of the target. While the U.S. government suggests the site was a missile base, local families and Iranian officials maintain the facility was a purely civilian educational institution.
The victims of the strike included children, teachers, drivers, and parents [1, 2]. Families of those affected said the school had no military connection [1, 2]. They reject the premise that the primary school served as a cover for military operations.
U.S. officials said investigations into the site are ongoing. The United States has suggested the location functioned as an active missile base [2].
This contradiction highlights the tension between intelligence assessments and on-the-ground reports from the Hormozgan Province. The Al-Shajara Al-Tayyiba school was a facility dedicated to primary education for girls before its destruction [1, 2].
Iranian officials and the families of the victims continue to challenge the U.S. narrative. They said the strike targeted a non-combatant site, resulting in the deaths of civilians and the loss of educational infrastructure [1, 2].
“The Al-Shajara Al-Tayyiba girls’ primary school in Minab was destroyed in a strike.”
The incident underscores the high stakes of intelligence failures in contested regions. If the site was indeed a civilian school, the strike represents a significant escalation and a potential violation of international humanitarian law. Conversely, if the site was used for military purposes, it suggests a strategy of embedding military assets within civilian infrastructure to deter attacks.
