Finance
UN urges investigation into 'horrific' attack on iran school
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 3, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 3, 2026
Quick Summary
The UN rights office urged the forces behind a “horrific” strike on a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, to conduct a prompt, impartial investigation. The attack—part of a joint U.S.–Israeli offensive at the end of February—reportedly killed between 148 and 180 predominantly schoolgirls.
UN calls for investigation into deadly strike on school in Iran
UN Response and International Reactions to Iranian School Attack
By Emma Farge
UN Human Rights Office Statement
GENEVA, March 3 (Reuters) - The U.N. human rights office on Tuesday urged what it called the forces behind a deadly attack on a girls' school in Iran to investigate and share insights into the incident, without saying who it believed was responsible.
Call for Investigation
"The High Commissioner (Volker Turk) calls for a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the attack. The onus is on the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it," U.N. human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told a Geneva press briefing.
Reaction to the Attack
"This is absolutely horrific," Shamdasani said, adding that images circulating on social media captured "the essence of the destruction, despair and senselessness and cruelty of this conflict".
Appeals for Restraint and Diplomacy
Turk also urged all parties to exercise restraint and to return to the negotiating table, she said.
Details of the Incident
Attack on the School
The school in southern Iran was hit on Saturday, the first day of U.S. and Israeli attacks against the country. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that U.S. forces "would not deliberately target a school". Israel has said it is investigating the incident.
Iran’s Response
Iran's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva Ali Bahreini had previously raised the issue with Turk in a letter dated March 1, calling the attack "unjustifiable" and "criminal".
Reported Casualties
He said the attack had killed 150 students.
Legal and Investigative Considerations
Turk's office does not have enough information to make a determination as to whether the strike constituted a war crime, Shamdasani said.
(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Ludwig Burger, Linda Pasquini and Aidan Lewis)
Key Takeaways
- •The Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ primary school in Minab was struck during U.S.–Israeli airstrikes on February 28, killing between 148 and 180, mostly children, with dozens more injured (en.wikipedia.org).
- •The U.N. human rights office, via spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, pressed the perpetrators to investigate the “horrific” attack promptly and impartially, placing responsibility for the probe on those who carried it out (ft.com).
- •U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that U.S. forces “would not deliberately target a school,” even as Iran reported over 160 killed in the first day of the strikes, according to state media (ft.com).
References
Frequently Asked Questions about UN urges investigation into 'horrific' attack on Iran school
1What did the UN say about the attack on the Iranian school?
The UN human rights office called for a prompt, impartial, and thorough investigation into the attack on the girls' school in Iran.
2Who is responsible for investigating the Iran school attack?
The UN human rights office emphasized that the forces that carried out the attack should investigate and share their findings.
3How many casualties were reported in the Iran school attack?
Iranian state media reported that over 160 people were killed on the first day of the attacks.
4Did the US deny involvement in targeting the school?
Yes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that US forces would not deliberately target a school.
