A view of the debris of a school, where many students and teachers lost their lives on the first day of the wave of attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, in Hormozgan, Iran on March 05, 2026 [Getty]
Around 230 students and teachers in Iran have been killed since US-Israeli attacks began, with over 600 schools and cultural sites damaged, according to the country’s Education Ministry on Tuesday.
Iran’s Education Minister, Ali Reza Kazemi, said that 177 students and cultural figures have also been injured, while more than 600 schools and cultural sites have been damaged since the onset of the attacks on 28 February.
The latest figures from the Iranian government follow the deadliest single incident of the conflict, which occurred on its first day, when the Shajarat al-Tayyiba girls’ primary school in the city of Minab was bombed. The air strike reportedly killed 168 students aged between seven and 12.
Israel and the United States have since sought to distance themselves from the attack.
However, a report by The New York Times, citing unnamed US officials, earlier this month stated that the US was responsible.
The United Nations’ cultural agency, UNESCO, has expressed deep concern over the impact of the ongoing strikes, emphasising that students in places of learning are protected under international humanitarian law.
It warned that “attacks against educational institutions endanger students and teachers and undermine the right to education”.
Iranian officials estimate that children make up around 30 percent of the total casualties.
According to Iranian media, authorities have also suspended in-person classes nationwide “until further notice”, shifting instead to online learning.
However, the transition has reportedly been hampered by power outages and unstable internet connections, with network efficiency at times dropping by as much as 98 percent.
