At least 85 people, most of them schoolgirls, were killed after an Israeli strike hit a girls’ school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, Iranian officials said on Saturday.

State-run IRNA reported that at least 63 others were injured.

Officials warned the death toll could rise as rescue teams continue to search the rubble for students and teachers feared trapped beneath debris.

The death toll has risen to 85 in a strike on a girls’ primary school in the southern Iranian town of Minab, according to the local prosecutor cited by state media.

Local sources said the attack occurred during school hours, when students and staff were present on the premises.

Initial casualty figures were lower, but later reports confirmed a sharp increase as emergency responders reached the site.

Iranian authorities condemned the strike, blaming Israel for what they described as a deliberate attack on civilians in Iran.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shared images from the scene on X, saying a girls’ primary school in southern Iran was targeted in broad daylight.

He said dozens of children were killed at the single location and vowed that those responsible would be held to account.

Minab is considered strategically sensitive due to the presence of a base belonging to Iran’s paramilitary forces. Authorities said investigations are underway as emergency operations continue.