The United States may have been responsible for the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran, which led to the death of 168 people on the first day of the strikes in Iran, 28 February, cbs news reported.
Citing sources, the report said that preliminary US assessment has suggested that Washington is “likely” responsible for the attack, adding that they may not have intentionally targeted the school and may have hit it in error, possibly due to the use of outdated intelligence inputs that wrongly identified the areas as part of an Iranian military installation.
Trump’s remarks on the strike on the school
The development is in stark contrast to what US President Donald Trump said on 7 March. Trump, when asked whether the US conducted the strikes that hit the girls’ school, said, without evidence, “No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.” He went on to say that Tehran is “very inaccurate” with the munition. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth quickly claimed that Washington was investigating the matter.
Trump’s claim incorrect?
Additionally, according to an AP report, the investigative group Bellingcat also said that the newly released video “appears to contradict” Trump’s claim of Iran being responsible for an explosion at the girls’ school. The group released a three-second video clip recorded on the day the school was hit. The clip shows a munition falling on a building, sending a dark cloud rising into the air and merging with smoke likely caused by earlier strikes on the compound. Bellingcat researcher Trevor Ball geolocated the video to a site close to the school.
The researcher also identified the munition that fell on the school building to be a Tomahawk cruise missile, which only the US is known to possess in this war. United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that Tomahawk cruise missiles were used in the conflict and shared an image showing the USS Spruance (DDG-111), part of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) carrier strike group, launching a Tomahawk missile on 28 February from a position within range of the school.
Israeli military denies responsibility
According to the cbs news report, sources claimed that investigators believed the US to be behind the explosion, because it was operating in the area while Israel’s military was not; however, no conclusions have been reached. Additionally, an Israeli government source denied Tel Aviv’s responsibility for the attack on the school building, stating that its military was not operating near the school.
Schoolgirls were killed in a US strike
A list released by Iranian state media, based on information from authorities in Minab County, identified 57 people who were killed. Human Rights Watch said that at least 48 of those listed appear to be children, based on the birthdates provided, along with the school’s principal and several teachers.
