Tehran: At least 51 students were killed and 60 others were wounded on Saturday in an Israeli strike targeting a girls' school in Minab in Iran's Hormozgan Province, reported the Iranian state media.
Minab's Provincial Governor, Mohammad Radmehr, confirmed to 'IRNA' that the Shajareye Tayabeh School had been directly attacked and that many students had been martyred. He said rescue and aid operations were underway at the school, adding that the security situation in the city was under control.
Meanwhile Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that a first wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks had been launched against Israel, warning that all US bases and interests in the region were within Iran's reach, an Iranian official told British news agency.
Explosions were reported in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.
Bahrain said the service centre of the US Fifth Fleet had been subjected to a missile attack. Video footage from witnesses in Bahrain showed a thick grey plume of smoke rising from near the small island state's coastline as sirens wailed.
At least half a dozen witnesses heard loud booms in various parts of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, a major oil producer and close US ally.
One witness told media she heard five booms in rapid succession that caused windows in a house near Abu Dhabi's Corniche to vibrate. Other witnesses in the Al Dhafra and Bateen areas also reported loud explosions.
Qatar said it had downed all missiles targeting the country, according to the state news agency. A Qatari official told French news agency that defence systems intercepted an Iranian missile as warning sirens sounded across the Gulf state.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Qatar's US-made Patriot interceptors downed the missile. Qatar hosts the Al-Udeid military base, the largest U.S. military facility in the region.
The UAE said one person was killed by falling shrapnel following the Iranian missile attack.
The United Arab Emirates said it was targeted on Saturday by what it described as a 'blatant attack' involving Iranian ballistic missiles, adding that its air defence systems intercepted a number of them.
The Defence Ministry said debris fell in a residential area of Abu Dhabi, causing material damage and killing one person of Asian nationality.
Authorities said the security situation was under control and that all relevant agencies were monitoring developments around the clock.
The ministry strongly condemned the attack, calling it a 'dangerous escalation' and a 'cowardly act' that threatens civilian safety and regional stability. It said the strike was a clear violation of the UAE's sovereignty and international law.
The UAE reserved 'its full right to respond' and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, people and national interests. It added that it was fully prepared to deal with any threats and that the safety of citizens, residents and visitors remained a top priority.
The ministry urged the public to rely on official sources for information and avoid spreading rumours.
Saudi Arabia also strongly condemned what it called Iranian aggression and a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.
Riyadh expressed full solidarity with those countries and said it was ready to place all its capabilities at their disposal to support any measures they take. It warned of the serious consequences of continued violations of state sovereignty and international law.
In Israel, a series of explosions was heard and air raid sirens sounded over Jerusalem after Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on Iran earlier in the day. The Israeli military had said it identified a barrage of missiles launched from Iran.
Explosions were also heard near Iran's Kharg Island. Iran exports about 90% of its crude oil via Kharg, shipping it through the narrow Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian media reported explosions in Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah. Blasts were also heard in the northwestern city of Tabriz, according to Fars news agency.
Iran's senior officials are 'in perfect health', including President Masoud Pezeshkian, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and security chief Ali Larijani, the Fars news agency reported on Saturday.
While Israeli sources have claimed to have targeted and succeeded in attacking the president and senior Iranian leaders, official sources within the country report that senior regime officials, including the heads of the armed forces, are in perfect health,' the report said.
The United Nations' rights chief deplored Saturday's strikes in the Middle East and urged all parties to return to negotiations, saying attacks would only result in "death, destruction and human misery".
"I deplore the military strikes across Iran this morning by Israel and the United States of America, and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iran," Volker Turk said in a statement. "As always, in any armed conflict, it is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price.
"Bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences but only result in death, destruction and human misery.
"To avert these terrible consequences for civilians, I call for restraint and implore all parties to see reason, to de-escalate, and for a return to the negotiating table where they had been actively seeking a solution only hours earlier," he said.
"Failing to do so risks an even wider conflict, that will inevitably lead to further senseless civilian deaths and destruction on a potentially unimaginable scale, not just in Iran but across the Middle East region."
Meanwhile US President Donald Trump announced that the United States and Israel has launched a major operation against Iran.
In a statement, President Trump said the goal of the operation is to ensure the security of the American people and to eliminate threats posed by the Iranian regime. 'Our objective is to neutralize dangers coming from the Iranian government and defend the safety of the American public,' he added.
He emphasized that Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons and noted that the operation targeted Iran's preparations to restart its nuclear program.
The US and Israel carried out a joint strike on Iran on Saturday morning. Missiles were launched from both air and sea toward the capital, Tehran, with seven missiles landing near the presidential palace and the residence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
"The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel," stated Defense Minister Israel Katz, confirming the commencement of the operation.
Frensh President Emmanuel Macron in a statement said that the outbreak of war between the United States, Israel, and Iran carries grave consequences for international peace and security.
At this decisive moment, every measure is being taken to ensure the security of our national territory, our citizens, and our interests in the Middle East. France also stands ready to deploy the necessary resources to protect its closest partners, should they request it.
He said that the ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good faith in negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as its regional destabilization activities. This is absolutely necessary for the security of all in the Middle East.
The Iranian people must also be able to freely build their future. The massacres committed by the Islamic regime disqualify it and demand that the voice be returned to the people. The sooner, the better.
Faithful to its principles and aware of its international responsibilities, France is calling for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council. I am in close contact with our European partners and friends in the Middle East.