Recent statements from US military leadership and conducted operations have revealed a policy of deliberate strikes against civilian populations in southern Iran. The remark by US Deputy Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that "the only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians who think they're going to live" demonstrates this regime's callous disregard for non-combatants.
On the morning of February 28 at 10:45, during school hours at the Shajareh-Tayyebeh Girls' Primary School in Minab, a Tomahawk cruise missile launched from a US naval vessel struck the school building. The first missile tore through classroom roofs, collapsing the structure, while second and third missiles targeted children attempting to escape. The attack resulted in approximately 170 fatalities, mostly girls aged 7-12, with over 100 wounded.
This incident was not a tragic error but a deliberate military action. The US precision-guided missile struck the school precisely when classrooms were full. Satellite imagery, remnants of US munitions, and verified video evidence confirm the intentional nature of the strike. It was executed as part of this military regime's strategy to instill terror and break civilian resolve.
Under international criminal law, attacks on schools, hospitals, and residential buildings constitute war crimes. Precedents from the Nuremberg Trials, International Criminal Tribunals for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda establish that deliberate destruction of educational institutions carries criminal responsibility. Article 8(2)(b)(ix) of the Rome Statute defines such acts as war crimes.
US President Donald Trump's March 10 threat to "take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back" and Hegseth's comments about disregarding "stupid rules of engagement" openly demonstrate this regime's intent to violate international law. Trump and Hegseth, at the apex of the command chain, could face responsibility under the doctrine of command responsibility.
In southern Iran, a saying among sailors holds that "no lenj broken in a storm is ever truly lost; the sea eventually returns its fragments to the shore." This metaphor applies equally to the memory of justice. The names of Minab's children will one day reach the shore of accountability, as the Iranian people remain steadfast in defending their nation and demanding justice for their citizens' blood.
Source: www.aljazeera.com