Four months after a US Tomahawk cruise missile struck a girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran, killing at least 175 people—mostly children—critics fear the Pentagon under Pete Hegseth will bury the investigation's findings. The attack, one of the deadliest US civilian bombings in decades, occurred on the first day of the war and has been shrouded in secrecy.
President Donald Trump initially suggested Iran was responsible, then claimed Iran had access to US missiles—which it does not. At a recent G7 press conference, Trump dismissed the incident as a mistake from "a long time ago," adding, "Nobody did that on purpose." He has called the conflict a "little excursion" into Iran.
Mohammadreza Ahmadi Tifakani lost two children in the bombing: seven-year-old Hanieh, killed instantly, and ten-year-old Sobhan, who died in a second strike while searching for his sister. "I personally went to the morgue and identified both of them," Tifakani told the Guardian.
Former Pentagon officials doubt the US will take responsibility or release the full report. Hegseth's "anti-woke" reforms have reduced civilian oversight of combat decisions, making it easier to avoid accountability. The incident echoes past mass-casualty events like the 2017 Mosul airstrike and the 1991 Amiriyah shelter bombing.
US Central Command offered no updates on the investigation. Trump stated it is ongoing, but critics remain sceptical that the truth will emerge.
