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Probe: U.S. Strike May Have Hit Iranian School
A U.S. military strike, likely using outdated targeting data, may have caused the deaths of at least 175 children at an Iranian girls’ school, prompting an ongoing investigation.
Graves are being prepared for the victims following a reported strike on a school in Minab, Iran, March 2, 2026, by Irani Media official.
A preliminary investigation indicates that a United States missile strike may have mistakenly hit a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran, causing numerous civilian casualties, most of them children. The Feb. 28 attack targeted the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, resulting in at least 175 deaths, according to reports cited by The New York Times.
Sources familiar with the probe said U.S. forces were aiming at a nearby Iranian military facility that had previously extended onto the school grounds. The school area had been separated from the military installation by a wall, converted into playgrounds, and repainted. Investigators found that officers from U.S. Central Command had used outdated intelligence data from the Defense Intelligence Agency to create the strike coordinates. It is unclear why this information was not verified before the attack.
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The strike occurred on the first day of joint U.S - Israeli military operations in Iran. The Pentagon declined to comment beyond noting that the investigation is ongoing, while President Donald Trump said he had not been briefed. Previously, Trump publicly attributed the attack to Iran, claiming the country was responsible and criticizing its missile capabilities, despite the fact that the U.S. military is the only force known to have used Tomahawk missiles in the conflict. Trump reiterated these claims in subsequent statements, although White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said he was making a “feeling based on fact” and would accept the Pentagon’s final conclusions.
The incident has drawn criticism from U.S. lawmakers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned Trump’s claims that Iran carried out the attack, calling the assertion “beyond asinine” and misleading.
Reports from Reuters and other sources indicate that outdated intelligence likely contributed to the targeting error. Video footage circulating online appears to show a Tomahawk missile hitting the area, though the precise circumstances remain under investigation. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, reported that 150 students were killed in the strike. Archived records show the school is adjacent to a compound operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have emphasized that civilians are not targeted intentionally. International humanitarian law considers deliberate attacks on schools and hospitals potential war crimes. Iranian state television aired images of victims’ funerals, showing small coffins draped in Iranian flags being carried by crowds. The investigation into the strike remains ongoing, with no timetable provided for final conclusions.
Editor’s Note:
This report summarizes preliminary findings from ongoing investigations into a missile strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed scores of children. The article presents verified information regarding potential U.S. military responsibility and official responses, without speculation or commentary on political implications.
