US Probe Finds Washington Responsible For Deadly Strike On Iran Girls' School: 'Targeting Mistake'

Last Updated:March 11, 2026, 22:44 IST

A US probe found that the February 28 strike on an elementary school in Iran's Minab was the result of a "targeting mistake" by the US military.

A military investigation has found the United States responsible for a deadly missile attack on an elementary school in Iran that killed more than 160 girls, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing US officials and other people familiar with the preliminary findings.

The preliminary probe found that the February 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Iran’s Minab county was the result of a “targeting mistake" by the US military, which was conducting strikes on an adjacent Iranian base, of which the school building was formerly a part, as per the report.

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Furthermore, officers at the US Central Command created the target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defence Intelligence Agency, according to people briefed on the investigation. Officers said the findings were preliminary and there were a lot of unanswered questions about why the information was not double-checked.

The incident gained scrutiny after a video surfaced claiming that a US Tomahawk cruise missile struck a naval base next to an elementary school in southern Iran, where 165 schoolgirls were among a total of 175 people killed. As per a report by Al Jazeera, the students were studying at the time missiles struck their school. The entire school collapsed on the children and teachers.

Donald Trump Denies US Responsibility

Amid reports that the US carried out the attack on the girls’ school, President Donald Trump denied responsibility and instead blamed Iran for the attack. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the attack was likely carried out by Iran itself.

ALSO READ: ‘Iran Has Some Tomahawks’: Trump Refuses To Take Blame For Missile Strike On Minab School

Later, while addressing the query regarding footage that purportedly shows a US Tomahawk missile striking an Iranian military base near the school, Trump said he had not seen the video but highlighted that the Tomahawk missile is utilised by several countries.

“Well, I haven’t seen it. I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is sold and used by other countries. Iran has some Tomahawks," Trump said.

The school, in the town of Minab, is on the same block as buildings used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Navy, a top target of the U.S. military strikes. The site of the school was originally part of the base. Satellite imagery reviewed by the NYT showed that watchtowers that once stood near the building had been removed, and three public entrances were opened to the school.

The “target coding" provided by the US Defence Intelligence Agency mistakenly labelled the school building as a military target when it was passed to US Central Command, the military headquarters overseeing the war, according to people briefed on the preliminary findings of the investigation.

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