Vatican newspaper condemns airstrike on Iranian elementary school
March 07, 2026
In a strongly worded op-ed, the Vatican newspaper condemned the airstrike on a girls’ elementary school in Iran on the opening day of the Iran war.
The airstrike “brings us back to the harsh reality of war,” staff journalist Valerio Palombaro wrote in the most prominent front-page article in L’Osservatore Romano’s March 6 edition. “Here is the true face of war: massacres, pain, and devastation, which, beyond the geopolitical scenarios, are concretely disrupting thousands of innocent lives and renewing the question: to what extent? Until when?”
Palombaro continued, “In Minab, on February 28, according to the latest estimates deemed accurate by the international press, over 150 schoolgirls died. At least 168, according to Tehran authorities. Most of them were girls or teenagers between the ages of 7 and 12, who, like every Saturday, had gone to the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school.”
Citing an article in The Guardian, Palombaro reported that “the school was located in the immediate vicinity of a Revolutionary Guards compound, although there is no indication it was being used for military purposes.” He commented:
The massacre, pending developments in the ongoing investigations to determine responsibility, raises pressing questions about respect for international humanitarian law. A fundamental bastion of humanity in the darkness of war, it is increasingly being trampled upon and violated by modern combat techniques. Guided missiles, drones, bombs, and even artificial intelligence-based systems that eliminate even the last remnants of humanity in warfare. The most vulnerable, like the girls of Minab, are paying the price.
The Vatican newspaper, citing a UNICEF statement, reported that “approximately 180 children have been killed and many more injured in the past seven days. In addition to the students of Minab, at least 12 other children have lost their lives in raids on schools in five different locations across Iran.”
“These innocent victims are a stark reminder of the brutality of war, which impacts families and communities for generations,” Palombaro concluded.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
