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The civilians dying in Trump’s new war

What we know about the civilian death toll in the Middle East, briefly explained.

The US war in Iran, joined by Israel, is in its third day, with no sign of slowing. On Monday, President Donald Trump estimated that it could last about four weeks — “and we’re a little ahead of schedule,” he said.

Already, the US has accomplished some of its military objectives, including sinking part of Iran’s navy and striking Iranian ballistic missile and nuclear facilities. Israel, with targeting assistance from the US, also killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the war’s first day. In the process, at least six US servicemembers have been killed, and four more injured.

The conflict has also produced a substantial and growing civilian death toll, both in Iran and in Israel and the Gulf states that Iran has targeted with missile and drone strikes in retaliation.

The civilian death toll in Iran

One of the worst single incidents occurred shortly after the war began on Saturday morning, when a missile struck a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran. The strike reportedly killed at least 175........

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