UNESCO Calls Iran School Strike Grave Violation

Smoke rises over Tehran, Iran following air strikes in June 2025. (file)

The UN education agency, UNESCO, says the bombing of a primary school during US and Israeli military attacks on Iran on Saturday constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law.

Missiles reportedly destroyed a girls’ primary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing around 150 people and wounding nearly 100. Many students are believed to be among the dead.

In a statement released on social media, UNESCO expressed deep alarm over the continued military attacks, which extended into Sunday. The agency stressed that pupils in places dedicated to learning are protected under international humanitarian law and warned that “attacks against educational institutions endanger students and teachers and undermine the right to education.”

UNESCO joined a number of UN bodies and senior officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres, in condemning the military strikes, as well as Iran’s retaliatory attacks that hit several countries in the Middle East.

Malala ‘Heartbroken And Appalled’

Malala Yousafzai, a United Nations Messenger of Peace and Nobel Peace Laureate, said she was heartbroken and appalled by the bombing of the school.

“The killing of civilians, especially children, is unconscionable, and I condemn it unequivocally,” she wrote in a social media post, calling for an end to escalating violence across the region and for justice and accountability.

“All states and parties must uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and safeguard schools,” she added. “Every child deserves to live and learn in peace.”

Malala became an international symbol of the fight for girls’ education after being shot in 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education in her home country, Pakistan.