The death toll resulting from a joint US-Israeli strike on a girls’ elementary school in Iran’s southern province of Hormozgan has climbed to 148, with 95 individuals sustaining injuries, as per local reports on Sunday. The attack, as stated by local prosecutor Ebrahim Taheri via the semi-official Tasnim news agency, primarily affected pupils, along with teachers, school staff, and parents. Following the assault on Tehran and other Iranian cities like Tabriz, Qom, Isfahan, Kermanshah, and Karaj, Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases in the region.
Israel and the United States initiated joint attacks on Tehran, leading to the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Secretary of the country’s Defence Council Ali Shamkhani, and Mohammad Pakpour, chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Despite this, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that military strikes on Iran are ongoing, emphasizing swift and decisive actions.
CENTCOM confirmed that there have been no reported US casualties and no damage to US Navy ships, with minimal impact on operations. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth dubbed the operation as “Operation Epic Fury,” highlighting its lethal and precise nature. Hegseth asserted the destruction of Iran’s missiles and navy, echoing President Trump’s stance against Iran possessing nuclear weapons.
General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., a former head of the US Central Command, emphasized the critical next 72 to 96 hours in determining Iran’s ability to withstand retaliatory missile strikes against US bases and partners in the Middle East.
