TEHRAN - Iran’s judiciary along with a number of national and international figures have launched legal actions condemning the United States and the regime of Israel over a missile strike on an elementary school in the city of Minab, southern Hormozgan province, that martyred many children on Feb. 28, the first day of the war.

The attack targeted the Shajareh Tayyebeh school, causing the building to collapse on students and teachers. At least 165 children, most of them girls aged between 7 and 12, were killed and dozens more injured.

Iranian judicial authorities say the strike is being investigated as a war crime, seeking to raise the case at international courts.

Mojtaba Ghahremani, head of Hormozgan judiciary department, said the judicial system initiated investigations immediately after the incident.

“From the first moments following this horrific crime, the judiciary began pursuing the matter through various legal channels, both nationally and internationally,” Ghahremani said.

According to him, a judicial case has been formally opened and evidence related to the attack, including documentation, reports and witness testimony, is being collected. Iranian authorities have also begun corresponding with domestic institutions and international bodies using existing legal frameworks, conventions and obligations under international law.

Ghahremani said the Ministry of Justice is coordinating efforts to pursue the case internationally through the ministry’s national authority responsible for implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

He described the strike on the school as “a clear example of a war crime and an act contrary to all humanitarian principles,” adding that legal efforts would continue until those responsible are identified and prosecuted.

“The pursuit of this crime will continue until the perpetrators and those who ordered it are brought to justice,” he said, adding that Iran would continue to seek accountability for the victims and their families in both national and international legal forums.

Alongside the government-led legal process, a number of Iranian civil society activists and scholars have also filed a petition calling for an international investigation into the strike.

The petition has been signed by more than 1,100 Iranian academics, researchers and civil and political activists, as well as tens of international figures. It calls on international legal institutions to examine the incident and prosecute those responsible.

The document has been addressed to several bodies, including the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the UN Secretary-General, and national prosecutors in countries that recognize universal jurisdiction for international crimes.

Signatories argue that the Feb. 28 military strike by the United States and Israel on Iranian territory constitutes an unlawful use of force under international law and violates Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

The petition also rejects claims of self-defense reportedly invoked by U.S. and Israeli officials to justify the military operation.

According to the document, the prohibition on the use of force may only be lifted in two circumstances: authorization by the UN Security Council or legitimate self-defense in response to an actual or imminent armed attack. The petition says neither condition was met in the case of the school strike.

The petition describes the bombing of the Minab school as one of the most severe incidents resulting from the military operation, citing its human toll and the vulnerability of the victims.

“At the time of the attack, students were present in their classrooms and the missile strikes completely destroyed the school building,” the petition states. “The roof collapsed on students and teachers, resulting in a large number of casualties.”

According to the document, satellite imagery, field reports and video evidence indicate that the school had been clearly separate from any military installations for years and there is no evidence it had been used for military purposes.

Some U.S. and Israeli officials have reportedly said they were unaware the missiles had struck a school, while some media outlets linked to Israel suggested the area was part of a military facility. However, the petition says available evidence contradicts those claims.

The signatories argue that the strike may constitute violations of key principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction, proportionality and precaution.

Under the principle of distinction, parties to a conflict must differentiate between military targets and civilian objects such as schools. The principle of proportionality prohibits attacks that could cause excessive civilian harm compared with the anticipated military advantage, while the principle of precaution requires combatants to take all feasible steps to minimize civilian casualties.

Moreover, the petition says striking a functioning school during operating hours, when children were present, represents a serious breach of these obligations.

It calls on the ICC prosecutor to open an independent and impartial investigation into potential war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression linked to the Feb. 28 attack.

The signatories also urged national courts in countries that recognize universal jurisdiction, including Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Norway and the Netherlands, to launch criminal investigations regardless of where the crime occurred or the nationality of those responsible.

The petition further calls on the UN Human Rights Council to establish an independent fact-finding mission to investigate the incident and on the UN Security Council to consider measures to prevent further attacks and ensure accountability.

The English version of the petition has been circulated internationally by the Global Conscience Initiative and signed by a number of prominent political and academic figures. Among those endorsing the document are former Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, former Turkish president Abdullah Gül, former Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki, former Qatari prime minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, and Iranian former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Other signatories include Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace Prize laureate from Yemen, and former International Atomic Energy Agency director general Mohamed ElBaradei, as well as academics and international legal experts.

The petition says the killing of large numbers of children in a school represents one of the most serious violations of international humanitarian law and warns that failure to investigate the incident could undermine the credibility of the global legal system.

“Failure to investigate and prosecute such crimes not only denies justice to the victims but also weakens the international community’s commitment to combating impunity,” the document states.

The signatories of the petition urged international institutions and national prosecutors to act swiftly to establish the facts of the case, hold those responsible accountable and ensure justice for the victims and their families.

It is also important that the school had maintained a yearslong online presence showing students and school activities, raising questions about how the United States vets strike locations, a Reuters investigation has found.

AM