Rubio Says US Would Not Deliberately Target School After Reports of Strike in Iran

Published: 3 March 2026 . The English Chronicle Desk.
The English Chronicle Online

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has addressed international outrage over reports that a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran was struck during the opening phase of the United States‑Israel military campaign, insisting that American forces “would not deliberately target a school” and characterising civilian casualty reports as subject to ongoing review. The comments come amid conflicting accounts of the incident and escalating regional tensions.

Iranian state media and relief agencies in recent days reported that a strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, killing dozens of students and other civilians, with some tallies citing well over a hundred fatalities. Iranian authorities have attributed the attack to U.S.‑Israel air operations, though precise details and independent verification remain limited, and at least one Western military authority says it is reviewing reports of civilian harm.

Rubio’s response to the school‑strike claims underscored that U.S. military doctrine seeks to avoid deliberate attacks on educational or civilian facilities, a point he emphasised while saying investigations into the circumstances were continuing. He did not provide specifics on whether a U.S. weapon caused the school damage or whether it was struck as a result of proximity to other military targets.

The remarks follow broader remarks by Rubio that U.S. forces conducted pre‑emptive strikes on Iran to limit wider conflict and protect American interests, including assertions that anticipated Israeli action and Iranian retaliation factored into timing and planning. This framing has drawn both domestic and international scrutiny given the high civilian toll cited in some reports.

Critics — including Iran’s government and some international legal experts — argue that any significant civilian casualties in an attack on a school constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law, echoing condemnation from global organisations and calls for independent inquiry. UNESCO and other agencies have underscored that intentional or reckless targeting of schools in conflict zones is prohibited under widely recognised legal standards.

Meanwhile, the broader conflict has spilled into a regional crisis, with Iranian missile and drone attacks and retaliatory strikes across the Gulf, including against allied assets and infrastructure. The implications for civilians and diplomatic relations continue to reverberate as military operations press forward.

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