The Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, Iran, will never function as an educational facility again. Once defined by its bright blue gate decorated with symbols of learning—including oversized pencils, portraits of scientific legends, and a map of Iran—the building now serves as a somber memorial for the children and others who lost their lives in a Feb. 28 attack.
This strike occurred during the earliest moments of the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel. Visitors walking through the gates are now greeted not by lessons, but by rows of photographs depicting the victims in happier times, juxtaposed against black banners of mourning. Inside the two-story structure, the scene remains frozen mid-lesson, with ceilings collapsed and desks partially buried in the debris. Iranian officials have stated that more than 100 students were killed in the attack.
While an investigation by the Associated Press found evidence that at least one U.S. missile struck the school, the Trump administration has not released the Pentagon’s findings nor directly accepted responsibility for the event. The community of Minab remains a focal point of the ongoing conflict, with recent U.S. strikes hitting a wedding and other areas along the southern coast, resulting in injured civilians being transported to local hospitals.
Plans are currently underway to preserve the ruins as a historical record. Hormozgan Gov. Mohammad Ashouri Taziani has announced intentions to convert the damaged building into a formal war museum and memorial. Nearby, a dedicated section of the Minab cemetery has been set aside for those killed in the strike, where families gather to visit graves marked on artificial grass. According to residents, three bodies have still not been recovered from the site.
