March 29, 2026 | 12:00 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Friday that more than 600 schools across Iran have been destroyed or damaged since the United States (US) and Israel launched military action against the country on February 28. These attacks, Araghchi said, also killed and injured more than 1,000 students and teachers.
Speaking via video link at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, as reported by Xinhua and quoted by Antara, Araghchi said an elementary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab was hit by what he called a "premeditated" attack, killing more than 175 students and teachers.
Araghchi said Iran is "amid the throes of an illegal war imposed" by the United States and Israel, calling it a "blatantly unjustified and brutal" war of aggression.
Referring to the attack on the school in Minab, he said that given the attackers' "most advanced technologies and the highest precision military and data systems," "no one can believe that the attack on this school was anything other than deliberate and intentional."
The Iranian foreign minister asserted that targeting the school constituted "a war crime and a crime against humanity," saying it "was not a mere incident nor a miscalculation," but an act that "demands unequivocal condemnation" and accounted for.
He also condemned the ongoing attacks by the US and Israel on civilian targets, including hospitals, ambulances, health workers, Red Crescent rescue workers, oil refineries, water sources, and residential areas, saying that such actions reflect a pattern of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure "with no regard for laws of war and basic principles of humanity."
"The aggressors' targeting pattern accompanied by their rhetoric leave little doubt as to their clear intent to commit genocide," he said.
Araghchi said Iran never sought war but would firmly defend itself, adding that the Iranian people had the determination and steadfastness to resist what he described as aggression. He also called for those responsible to be held accountable.
Read: Trump Extends Pause on Iran Energy Attacks to April 6
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Iran Allows 20 Pakistani Ships Through Strait of Hormuz
29 menit lalu
Iran has agreed to allow 20 more Pakistani-flagged ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran Considers Withdrawing from Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
34 menit lalu
The possibility of Iran withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is being discussed in Tehran
Trump Extends Pause on Iran Energy Attacks to April 6
2 jam lalu
President of the United States (US), Donald Trump, extends the pause of attacks on Iran's energy facilities until April 6, 2026.
List of Countries Allowed by Iran to Pass Through Strait of Hormuz
2 jam lalu
The escalation of tension around Iran has also led to a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which is a major route for oil shipments
Iran's Internet Blackout Fuels Fear and Isolation
16 jam lalu
As Israeli and U.S. strikes hit Tehran and an internet blackout cuts communications, residents say uncertainty over loved ones is 'unbearable.'
Trump Calls Hormuz Waterway 'Strait of Trump'
1 hari lalu
Trump says Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil shipments before any peace deal can be reached.
Anwar Ibrahim Shares Insights from Meeting with Prabowo
1 hari lalu
The meeting between Anwar Ibrahim and Prabowo opens a constructive space to find common ground to address the conflict in the Middle East.
Anwar Ibrahim Arrives in Jakarta for Talks with Prabowo
1 hari lalu
Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim meets Prabowo in Jakarta to discuss the Middle East conflict's impact on regional stability and the global economy.
US and Israel Reportedly Clash over Iran Peace Plan
1 hari lalu
The US and Israel reportedly clash over a 15-point peace proposal to end the war with Iran, as Tehran demands sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
Fact Check: No Missile Attack on North Korean Embassy in Tehran
1 hari lalu
Tempo's fact-check team found that the content in circulation was created using artificial intelligence technology.
