U.S. Military Likely Struck Iranian Girls' School, Killing Scores of Children

A preliminary U.S. military assessment has found that American forces were likely responsible for a missile strike that destroyed an elementary school in Minab, in Iran's Hormozgan Province, on Feb. 28, the opening day of the war, killing between 168 and 175 people, the majority of them children.

The strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school, located near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facility that was targeted during the opening wave of American strikes. U.S. investigators believe the school was hit in error, likely because outdated Defense Intelligence Agency targeting data misidentified the building as part of the adjacent military installation rather than a civilian school.

Open-source analysts reviewing video and satellite imagery concluded the weapon used appeared consistent with a Tomahawk cruise missile, a munition operated exclusively by the United States and a small number of allies, including the United Kingdom. Iran does not possess Tomahawk missiles.

The human toll is staggering. Iranian authorities in Minab county published a list of 57 names of victims. Human Rights Watch analyzed that list and found at least 48 of those individuals appear to be children, based on their birthdates. Video footage geolocated by CBS News showed black smoke rising from a damaged building decorated with children's murals.

Despite the preliminary findings, President Trump has repeatedly denied American responsibility. Aboard Air Force One on March 7, he told reporters: "No, in my opinion, based on what I've seen, that was done by Iran. We think it was done by Iran, because they are very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran." He later claimed that "Iran has some Tomahawks," an assertion for which no evidence exists and which multiple outlets reported as false.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, when asked whether Trump's account was accurate, said only, "We're certainly investigating," before adding, "the only side that targets civilians is Iran." CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said it "would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back against media pressure to accelerate the inquiry, saying the administration would "not be harassed by The New York Times, who's been putting out a lot of articles on this, making claims that have just not been verified by the Department of War, to quickly wrap up this investigation." White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly stated the "investigation is ongoing" and has reached "no conclusions at this time," calling it "both irresponsible and false for anyone to claim otherwise."

On Capitol Hill, Republican senators have been notably restrained. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma acknowledged the questions were reasonable but cautioned against public hearings during an active military operation: "The timing and the standing up and doing a public hearing while our troops are in the field, saying, 'You guys are shooting at schoolgirls,' when they're actually defending our families, I think it's just the wrong way to do that."

An Israeli military official told the Wall Street Journal that Israel was looking into the incident but "wasn't aware of an Israeli strike in that area."

The preliminary nature of the U.S. assessment means official findings could still shift. Unnamed U.S. officials who spoke to multiple outlets noted they did not rule out the possibility that new evidence could emerge that absolves American forces. What cannot be disputed is what the murals on those walls were meant for, and who was inside when the building came down.