Iran congratulates White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on baby, revives Minab School strike row
Iran has congratulated White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on the birth of her daughter, while also using the occasion to criticise her over the February 28 strike on a school in Minab that reportedly killed more than 150 people, many of them children.
Karoline Leavitt announces birth of daughter
Leavitt on Thursday announced the birth of her second child, a baby girl named Viviana.
“On May 1st, Viviana aka ‘Vivi’ joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love,” Leavitt wrote on X, sharing a photo from the nursery.
“She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister.”
On May 1st, Viviana aka “Vivi” joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love. 💕
— Karoline Leavitt (@karolineleavitt) May 7, 2026
She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister. We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble.
Thank you to… pic.twitter.com/wM1P1zEGsa
At 28, Leavitt is the youngest White House press secretary in US history.
Iran’s embassy posts barbed message
The Iranian Embassy in Armenia congratulated Leavitt, but paired the message with a sharp reference to the Minab strike.
“Congratulations to you. Children are innocent and lovable. Those 168 children that your boss killed in the school in Minab, and you justified, were also children. When you kiss your baby, think of the mothers of those children,” the embassy wrote on X.
Congratulations to you. Children are innocent and lovable. Those 168 children that your boss killed in the school in Minab, and you justified, were also children. When you kiss your baby, think of the mothers of those children. https://t.co/uhypZFhRRf
— IRI Embassy in Armenia (@iraninyerevan) May 9, 2026
Minab strike remains flashpoint
Iranian state media had said 73 boys, 47 girls, 26 teachers, seven parents, a school bus driver and a pharmacy technician were killed in the strike on an elementary school in Minab.
The strike came on the day the United States and Israel launched attacks across Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes by Tehran.
US previously denied targeting civilians
In March, Leavitt said the United States does not target civilians and that Iran, not Washington, was responsible for civilian deaths.
Later reports citing preliminary US military findings said a Tomahawk cruise missile hit the school due to a targeting error, further fuelling controversy.
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