US says it wouldn't deliberately target a school after Iran said over 160 killed in strike

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S. forces "would not deliberately target a school" after Iranian state media reported over 160 were killed in a strike on a girls' school on the first day of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.

The reported strike took place on a girls' elementary school in the town of Minab in southern Iran on Saturday, marking the deadliest incident in the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran.

The incident has been condemned by the U.N. culture and education agency UNESCO and Nobel Peace Prize-winning education activist Malala Yousafzai. Deliberately attacking an educational institution or hospital or any other civilian structure is a war crime under international humanitarian law.

"The Department of War would be investigating that if that was our strike, and I would refer your question to them," Rubio told reporters on Monday when asked about the incident. "The United States would not deliberately target a school."

The Pentagon and the U.S. Central Command did not respond to a request for comment. Over the weekend, the U.S. Central Command told media outlets it was "looking into" reports of "civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations."

Rosemary DiCarlo, the U.N. under-secretary-general for peacebuilding, said on Monday she was aware of reports from Iran on the deaths from the reported strike and noted that U.S. officials have said they were looking into the reports.

"It will be very tragic, but I can't speak to the details behind it because I just don't have it. It will be a tragic outcome if it's happened. I don't have the details as to what led to it but what is clear is that the United States will not deliberately target a school," Rubio said.

Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, was also asked about the strike that Iranian state media blamed on Israel and the U.S. Danon said he had seen different reports, including that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted the school.

Reuters could not independently confirm the reports.

The U.S. and Israeli air war against Iran began with their attacks against Tehran on Saturday and has since widened with Iranian retaliation.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed over the weekend. President Donald Trump has said the operation could continue for some weeks.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Sonali Paul)