Iran Calls US and Israel Genocide in Response to Targeting of Educational Sites

(SeaPRwire) –   Tehran claims that strikes have “intentionally” struck more than 600 educational buildings, citing the Minab school incident that resulted in the deaths of over 160 children.

Iran has charged the United States and Israel with genocide, alleging the “deliberate” bombardment of schools and academic institutions within its borders.

In a statement posted to X on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei asserted that over 600 Iranian educational sites have been hit by US-Israeli strikes during the last month. This includes the Shajareh Tayyebeh School in Minab, where the death toll of children exceeded 160.

”This is not an isolated act of cruelty – it is part of a systematic and brutal pattern of illegal warfare against Iran,” he stated. “The term ‘war crime’ falls far short of adequately describing these atrocities. Given the explicit rhetoric of hostility toward Iranians (as a nation) expressed by US/Israeli officials, these crimes amount to genocide.”

The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran commenced on February 28 with heavy strikes on urban areas, including the bombing of the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school, which resulted in at least 175 fatalities, the vast majority being children. Initially, American and Israeli authorities provided inconsistent denials and justifications, with US President Donald Trump even alleging the strike was “done by Iran.”

The Pentagon has since launched an investigation, with reports indicating that officials have verified the US conducted the strike, attributing it to “outdated targeting data” that incorrectly identified the school as a nearby military facility.

On the same day as the Minab attack, a school and sports complex in the city of Lamerd were also struck, leaving at least 21 dead. According to a New York Times report that analyzed video evidence and consulted weapons experts, the US executed this strike using the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM)—a weapon not previously used in combat—which detonates mid-air to scatter tungsten pellets.

While the Lamerd incident received little international notice, the tragedy in Minab has drawn widespread condemnation. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova denounced the US and Israel for “cruelty, cynicism, and dehumanization.” Both Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed their solidarity with the victims of the “massacre.” Nevertheless, both the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN Security Council (UNSC) were unable to pass formal resolutions to condemn the event.

Official figures indicate that the US and Israel have sustained an aerial campaign against Iran for more than a month, resulting in over 1,340 deaths. In response, Iran has launched drone and missile attacks against Israel and American military installations across the Middle East.

On Wednesday, Trump stated that the conflict is “nearing completion,” though he warned that airstrikes would escalate over the coming two to three weeks if Iran’s leadership does not surrender. Baqaei previously noted that Tehran had been approached by intermediaries regarding potential US negotiations, but he dismissed these offers as “unrealistic, illogical and excessive.” Iranian officials maintain that they will conclude the war on their own terms and have accused the US of undermining previous diplomatic efforts.