US Missile Strike on Iran School

A preliminary investigation by the United States military suggests that US forces were likely responsible for a missile strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Iran — Minab, Iran, on February 28, which killed over 150 people, mostly children. The strike occurred during US and Israel attacks on Iran, with the school being adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base. The New York Times reported that the US Tomahawk missile strike was due to outdated targeting data provided by the United States — Central Intelligence Agency, which mistakenly classified the school as a military target. New footage analyzed by Bellingcat further supports the use of a Tomahawk missile, a weapon exclusively possessed by the United States in this conflict. Donald Trump initially blamed Iran for the attack, but later stated he would accept the investigation's findings. Pete Hegseth, the US Defense Secretary, acknowledged the investigation and stated the US never targets civilian sites, while also emphasizing a focus on lethality in military operations. The United Nations human rights office has called for an investigation, highlighting that deliberately attacking a school would be a war crime. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation and raised concerns about civilian casualties and adherence to international humanitarian law.