Tehran, Feb 28 — At least 40 people were killed in a US-Israeli strike on a girls’ school in Minab in southern Iran, according to the Associated Press, marking one of the deadliest incidents since coordinated attacks began.
Iranian authorities said the death toll had risen to 40 following the strike on the school building. There was no immediate clarity on the number of injured. Officials have not released further details on the identities of the victims.
The strike came as Israel launched a daylight attack on Tehran earlier in the day, with smoke seen rising from downtown areas near the offices of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. It was not immediately known whether Khamenei was present at the time.
The escalating confrontation severely disrupted air travel across the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates — home to long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways — closed its airspace on Saturday. Israel also shut its skies amid fears of retaliation.
The Qatar Airways Group said it had temporarily cancelled flights to and from Doha after Qatari authorities closed their airspace. “Flights to and from Doha have been temporarily cancelled due to the closure of Qatari airspace,” the airline group said in a statement.
Planes en route to Israel were diverted to alternate airports, while passengers waiting at Ben Gurion International Airport were escorted out of terminals as departures were suspended.
With multiple airspaces closed and further strikes reported in Tehran and other Iranian cities, the situation remained volatile on Saturday. Authorities in Iran have not issued a detailed assessment of damage beyond the reported casualties in Minab.