- Title: UN urges investigation into 'horrific' attack on Iran school
- Date: 3rd March 2026
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (MARCH 3, 2026) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PRESS BRIEFING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESPERSON FOR THE U.N. OFFICE OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS HIGH COMMISSIONER, RAVINA SHAMDASANI, SAYING: “In Iran, the Iran Red Crescent Society reports put the death toll at 787. In the single deadliest and devastating incident, dozens of girls were reportedly killed an
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- Keywords: Iran Israel Lebanon Middle East US United Nations attack girls human rights refugees school war
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Iran
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001039103032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United Nations human rights office urged on Tuesday (March 3) the "forces" behind an attack on a girls' school in Iran to investigate and share insights into the "horrific" incident, without naming them.
"The High Commissioner (Volker Turk) calls for a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the attack. The onus is on the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it," U.N. human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told a Geneva press briefing, describing the incident as "horrific."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said U.S. forces "would not deliberately target a school" after Iranian state media reported over 160 were killed on the first day of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Speaking at the same news briefing, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said that at least 30,000 displaced people have sought protection in shelters in Lebanon since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah began on Monday (March 2).
"Conservative estimates suggest that nearly 30,000 people were hosted and registered at collective shelters," said UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch.
"Many more slept in their cars on the side of roads or were still stuck in traffic jams on the roads," he added.
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