Israeli strike hits primary school in Iran, five students killed as US announces ‘major combat operations’

An Israeli strike has hit an elementary girls’ school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, killing five students, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. The attack on the primary school marks one of the deadliest reported civilian incidents since the latest escalation between Iran, Israel and the United States began.

The development comes as US President Donald Trump announced that the United States has begun “major combat operations” in Iran, following earlier Israeli missile strikes on Iranian targets. The Pentagon has indicated the campaign will be sustained, signaling a widening confrontation in the region.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed they have launched a large-scale wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks toward Israel. In northern Israel, a nine-storey residential building was hit after interceptor missiles were deployed, leaving at least one man with minor injuries and causing significant damage to an apartment, according to Israeli emergency services.

Fresh explosions were reported in Tehran, suggesting the attacks are ongoing. Due to internet disruptions and communication blackouts, details about specific targets remain unclear. Iranian officials have reiterated that while the country maintains peaceful intentions toward its neighbors, it will defend itself against what it describes as aggression.

International reactions have been swift. The United Kingdom reiterated that Iran “must never be allowed” to develop nuclear weapons and urged British nationals in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE to seek immediate shelter. Ukraine’s foreign ministry blamed Iranian authorities for the escalation and renewed calls for political change in Tehran.

The rapidly evolving situation has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict as both sides signal that operations are far from over.