At the end of February 2026, during joint US-Israeli air strikes on targets in Iran, a direct hit destroyed the "Good Tree" primary school building in the city of Minab in the south of the country. According to Iranian judicial authorities and human rights groups, 165 people were killed, most of them girls aged 7 to 12, and another 95 were wounded. Representatives of the US and Israeli militaries said they do not acknowledge striking the school, while pro-government sources claimed that a base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was located at the site.
An investigation by Al Jazeera’s digital forensics team contradicts those claims. Analysis of satellite imagery, video footage and official documents spanning more than a decade showed that the school building had been clearly separated from the adjacent military facility at least since 2016. Documents indicate the school block was renovated, three entrances onto a public street were opened for it, and since 2018 there have been clear signs of civilian use: an inner courtyard, wall drawings and civilian vehicles.
Detailed analysis of on-site video footage from the strike revealed two separate columns of smoke: one inside the military perimeter and a second precisely at the school site. This matches the distance between the two facilities visible in satellite images. These pieces of evidence refute accounts that the school was damaged by shrapnel after a strike on the neighboring base or by the fall of its own air-defense system, and point to an independent strike aimed directly at the school building. At the same time, a new civilian clinic opened a year earlier in another corner of the same complex was not damaged.
The investigation also found that the original military complex had, over preceding years, transformed into three independent and visually distinct sectors: the "Good Tree" school (separated since 2016), the "Shahid Absalan" civilian clinics complex (separated since early 2025) and an active closed military facility "Seyed ash-Shuhada". This visually confirmed layout leaves only two possible questions: either the attackers used extremely outdated data and did not update their target database, or the strike on the school was deliberate.
Regional and international reactions to the incident were accompanied by attempts at disinformation. Photos circulated on social media purporting to prove that an Iranian air-defense missile struck the school. However, Al Jazeera’s verification showed that the key photo was taken during an incident in Zanjan in northwest Iran, not in Minab. Human rights organizations, including the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, called the event a "horrific crime" and a sign of the collapse of protection for the civilian population, stressing that schools, as civilian objects, enjoy legal protection that is not nullified by the proximity of military installations.
According to local residents, the decision to evacuate the school was made immediately after the attacks began, but the interval between the warning and the missile impact was too short for parents to retrieve their children. The consequences of the strike were so extensive that local morgues could not cope, and authorities had to use mobile refrigerated units to store the bodies of the dead.
The investigation concludes that the attackers’ ability to identify a new civilian clinic while simultaneously failing to recognize a separated primary school that had been operating for more than ten years points to only two explanations: either a glaring intelligence failure, or a deliberate strike based on a false association of the school with military infrastructure. In either scenario, responsibility for the deaths of dozens of children and civilians and for the grave violation of international humanitarian law lies with those who carried out the strike.
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How is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) organized and why do its facilities often become targets? - The IRGC is Iran’s elite armed force, created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It performs a dual function: protecting the Islamic order domestically and conducting operations abroad. Structurally it includes ground forces, aerospace forces, a navy and the Quds special unit. Its facilities become targets because of the IRGC’s involvement in regional conflicts, support for proxy groups and missile programs, which raise concerns among rivals such as Israel and the US.
What is the city of Minab like in terms of strategic importance or demographics in southern Iran? - Minab is a city in Hormozgan province in southern Iran, with a population of around 50–60 thousand people. Its strategic importance is linked to its location near the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping route for global oil trade. The region hosts military facilities and infrastructure, making it a sensitive security area.
Who is "Shahid Absalan," after whom the medical complex is named, and what is the practice of naming objects after "shahids" in Iran? - Shahid Absalan likely refers to Absalan — a member of the IRGC or Basij who died in the line of duty (for example, in the Iran–Iraq War of 1980–88). In Iran it is common to name places (streets, hospitals, schools) after "shahids" — martyrs who gave their lives for Islam and the country. This is part of the state ideology of honoring the fallen and reinforcing national identity.
What is the typical civil defense or early warning protocol in Iran for events such as air strikes? - Iran has a civil defense system coordinated by the IRGC and local authorities. In the event of a threat of air strikes, sirens are sounded and messages are broadcast via TV, radio and messaging apps. Exercises are conducted regularly, especially in border regions. However, the system is considered less developed than in some other countries, with limited coverage in remote areas.
Full version: تحقيق للجزيرة يرجح: إسرائيل وأمريكا قتلتا "عمدا" طالبات مدرسة ميناب