The government of China has pledged $200,000 in humanitarian assistance to support families of students killed in a missile strike on a school in southern Iran during the early days of the ongoing Middle East conflict.
According to China’s foreign ministry, the donation will be delivered through the Red Cross Society of China to the Iranian Red Crescent Society to provide condolences and financial support to parents of the victims.
The strike targeted a girls’ primary school in Minab, located in Iran’s Hormozgan Province, on February 28, the first day of a wave of attacks linked to the regional conflict.
Iranian media reported that at least 165 people, including many children, were killed in the attack, though the death toll has not been independently verified.
China condemns attack
Speaking at a press briefing in Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described the strike as a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
“Attacks on schools and children constitute a more severe violation of international humanitarian law and breach the bottom line of human conscience and morality,” Guo said.
He added that China remains ready to provide further humanitarian support to assist the Iranian people during the crisis.
Conflicting claims over responsibility
Authorities in Tehran have accused the United States and Israel of carrying out the missile strike.
However, Israel has denied any involvement or knowledge of the attack.
Reports by The New York Times suggested that a preliminary investigation by the US military indicated a Tomahawk missile may have struck the school due to a targeting error, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, initially suggested Iran could have been responsible but later said he would accept the findings of the official investigation.
Humanitarian concerns grow
Funeral ceremonies for victims were held earlier this month in Minab, where families mourned students killed in the attack.
Independent journalists and investigators have been unable to access the site to verify the circumstances of the strike or confirm the exact number of casualties.
China said its donation is intended to provide immediate humanitarian relief to affected families while the international community continues to monitor developments surrounding the incident.
