Preliminary US Inquiry Points to Responsibility for Fatal Iranian School Strike
A preliminary US military investigation has reportedly determined that Washington was accountable for a devastating Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school in February, resulting in the deaths of scores of children. According to the New York Times, citing unnamed US officials and sources familiar with the initial findings, the inquiry concluded that the attack on 28 February at the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Iran, stemmed from a targeting mistake by US military planners.
High Civilian Toll and Conflicting Claims
Iranian authorities have placed the death toll from the assault at a minimum of 175 individuals, with the majority being children, marking one of the most severe and shocking incidents of American strikes causing civilian fatalities in recent history. The findings appear to corroborate assertions by Tehran, which had previously released video footage of the US missile strike and fragments of US-made missile parts. This evidence emerged despite efforts by former President Donald Trump to suggest Iran was responsible for hitting the building.
Trump stated on Saturday, "In my opinion, based on what I've seen, that was done by Iran ... they're very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran." However, he provided no substantiating evidence for this claim, and US military spokespeople have not echoed his assertion, merely confirming they are "investigating" the bombing.
Investigation Details and Evasion Tactics
The inquiry, which remains ongoing, has reportedly discovered that officers at US Central Command formulated the target coordinates for the strike using outdated data supplied by the Defense Intelligence Agency. While independent analyses had strongly indicated US culpability, the Trump administration has persisted with a policy of evasion regarding the attack that struck the school in Minab, located near buildings utilized by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards naval forces.
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized in a statement, "As the New York Times acknowledges in its own reporting, the investigation is still ongoing." This continued avoidance of responsibility underscores the administration's stance amid the horrific aftermath.
Evidence and Geolocation Analysis
Historic satellite imagery reveals that although the school building was once part of a broader IRGC complex, it has been separated from the barracks by walls for at least nine years. Clear visual indicators, such as colourful murals on the walls and small sports playing fields, visible in some satellite images, confirm its status as an educational facility. There is no evidence suggesting the school was used for military purposes at the time of the strike, though its proximity to the IRGC base offers a plausible rationale for US or Israeli target selection in the area.
Following the explosion, multiple videos of the bombed school, verified by the Guardian, circulated on Iranian social media. At least four clips depict the same site from various angles, featuring shared motifs like the school's distinctive murals. One video shows the rubble of the destroyed school and pans to reveal thick smoke rising over the fence from the direction of the IRGC base, indicating the bomb that hit the school was part of a series of strikes targeting the adjacent complex.
Munitions Identification and Expert Insights
On 8 March, Iranian state media Mehr News Agency released a video of a missile striking a location in Minab, which was geolocated by the investigative collective Bellingcat. By cross-referencing physical features such as buildings, water towers, trees, and roads with satellite images, Bellingcat confirmed the missile impacted the IRGC compound next to the school. Munitions experts have identified the missile in the video as a Tomahawk missile.
NR Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services, noted, "Given the belligerents, that indicates it is a US strike, as Israel is not known to possess Tomahawk missiles." He added, "Despite various claims circulating online, the munition in question is clearly not an Iranian Soumar missile: the Soumar has a distinctive external engine located towards the rear, on the underside of the munition." The US is the sole country involved in the Iran conflict known to deploy this weapon, further implicating American forces in the tragic event.
