Nearly four months after a US Tomahawk missile struck a girls' school in Minab, Iran, killing at least 175 people, mostly children, fears are growing that the Trump administration will bury the findings of the investigation. The attack, which occurred on the first day of the US-Iran war, has been described as one of the deadliest civilian bombings by US forces in decades.
During a press conference at the G7 meeting in Évian-les-Bains, France, President Donald Trump dismissed questions about the investigation, calling it 'such a strange question' and claiming 'nobody did that on purpose'. He has previously suggested Iran was responsible, despite evidence that the missile was US-made.
The Pentagon, under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, has reduced oversight of civilian casualties as part of an 'anti-woke' agenda. Critics doubt the full report will be released, citing a pattern of secrecy. One former senior Pentagon official said, 'I’m very doubtful that the Hegseth Pentagon will follow through' with accountability.
Mohammadreza Ahmadi Tifakani lost two children in the bombing: seven-year-old Hanieh and ten-year-old Sobhan, who died after running back to find his sister. 'I personally went to the morgue and identified both of them,' he said. The incident echoes past US mass-casualty events like the 2017 Mosul airstrike and the 1991 Amiriyah shelter bombing.
US Central Command said it has 'no updates at this time' on the investigation. As the US signs a shaky ceasefire with Iran, the Minab bombing remains a test of the administration's commitment to transparency in wartime actions.
