WANA (Jul 10) – The laughter of children still echoes faintly in the memories of neighbors, but Rainbow Kindergarten is now nothing more than a silent, dust-covered ruin.

 

Once brimming with vibrant murals and tiny shoes, the daycare center in the heart of Tehran’s District 7 now lies under a heap of debris—collapsed walls crushing toys and storybooks, and smothering the dreams once nurtured inside.

 

This was no battlefield, no military outpost. Rainbow Kindergarten became the tragic canvas where the war revealed its cruelest face—not with trenches and tanks, but by obliterating a place meant for innocence and imagination.

The aftermath of an Israeli strike on Rainbow Kindergarten in Tehran. Social media/ WANA News Agency

“Ten Minutes Saved Their Lives”

Mehri Vatan-khah, the director of Rainbow Kindergarten, vividly recalls the day it all changed.

 

“On Sunday, June 15, following the sound of explosions and air defense activity, we made an emergency decision to close the kindergarten,” she said. “Within ten minutes of the incident, we began calling parents. The last child was picked up at 3:20 p.m. Just ten minutes later, at 3:30 p.m., a missile struck near the building. The entire center was destroyed.”

 

Around 20 children were present that day—far fewer than usual. Many families had already kept their children home due to the tense atmosphere and signs of escalating conflict.

The aftermath of an Israeli strike on Rainbow Kindergarten in Tehran. Social media/ WANA News Agency

“We Lost Everything, But Not the Children”

 

Thankfully, no lives were lost. But the material losses were total.

 

“All the equipment, supplies, and the building itself are gone,” said Vatan-khah. “The kindergarten operated in a rented three-story building. We’ve been told we may receive construction aid, and we’re compiling a list of lost items in hopes of some compensation.”

 

Children Left Traumatised

The emotional toll has been severe. In the aftermath, Vatan-khah remained in contact with the children’s parents and arranged to meet the children in a nearby park.

 

 

“Many families report that their children are now suffering from anxiety, bedwetting, and panic,” she said. “What they heard and saw that day—those were not sounds any child should ever hear.”

The aftermath of an Israeli strike on Rainbow Kindergarten in Tehran. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Vatan-khah strongly refuted claims circulating in foreign-backed media that only military zones were targeted during the strike.

 

“We documented the destruction. These photos prove otherwise. This was not a military zone—it was a residential street with about ten homes, many of which housed children. No place is more innocent than a kindergarten,” she said.

 

“I Thought Kindergartens Were Sacred”

As a mother of two and an educator for many years, Vatan-khah said she dedicated her life to shielding children from the harsh realities of conflict.

 

“I never imagined the kindergarten itself would be targeted. I always thought the streets might be unsafe—but the kindergarten? That was supposed to be the safest place of all.”