US attack on school in Iran described as targeting IRGC base

Moscow (ANTARA) – The attack on a school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, which killed dozens of children, is believed to be part of a United States attack on a nearby Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base. The statement was reported by The New York Times on Thursday (5/3), based on satellite imagery analysis, social media posts, and verified video footage. Public statements from US officials indicate that US military aircraft did indeed operate in the area on the day of the attack on the school, including operations against IRGC facilities, according to the report. The New York Times said the school building had previously been part of the IRGC naval base. However, satellite imagery shows that by September 2016 the building had been separated from the military base by a fence. On 28 February, the United States and Israel launched strikes against a number of targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran then retaliated with attacks on Israeli territory as well as on US military bases across the Middle East. The attack on Iran occurred despite prior negotiations mediated by Oman between Washington and Tehran on the Iranian nuclear issue taking place in Geneva. On the first day of the conflict, a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, became a target of attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at least 171 female students were killed. The United Nations then called for accountability for the deadly attack. Source: Sputnik/RIA Novosti