US Investigation Finds Forces Likely Responsible for Iran School Strike
The US military announced today it has elevated the investigation into the February 28 strike on an Iranian girls’ school, after initial findings suggest US forces were likely responsible. The strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh School in Minab, Iran, reportedly killed 168 children and if US responsibility is confirmed, it would represent one of the worst incidents of civilian deaths in decades of US military operations in the Middle East.
Investigation Details
Reuters first reported the investigation’s initial findings on March 5, 2026. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to comment on the preliminary findings, stating, “We’re not going to let reporting lead us or force our hand into indicating what happened.” He announced a higher-level investigation led by a US general officer from outside US Central Command to ensure greater independence. “The command investigation will take as long as necessary to address all the matters surrounding this incident,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon press conference.
The investigation, a 15-6 administrative probe, could lead to disciplinary action if warranted. It will involve sworn statements and interviews with those involved. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, ordered the probe after an initial review.
Annie Shiel, US advocacy director with the Center for Civilians in Conflict, stated the investigation “signals a recognition that something went wrong and to try to understand what happened, and why.”
Initial Findings and Potential Causes
Preliminary findings suggest US forces may have relied on outdated targeting data that failed to distinguish between the school and an adjoining Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base in Minab. Video and other evidence indicate the school was hit by a Tomahawk cruise missile, a precision-guided munition possessed by few nations other than the US.
Shifting US Statements
President Donald Trump initially questioned US involvement, suggesting Iran may have attacked the school and even possessed Tomahawk missiles – a claim disputed by military experts. However, on Monday, Trump stated he would “certainly” accept the results of the US investigation, a shift noted by officials as making it politically challenging to reject the findings once finalized.
School Background
The Shajareh Tayyebeh School is an all-girls’ school located in Minab, Hormozgan Province, along the Strait of Hormuz. It was part of the Persian Gulf Martyrs’ Cultural Educational Institute, a network affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Archived copies of the network’s website and photos of students gathered in the yard, matching verified videos from after the strike, confirm the school’s long-standing public presence, including online since at least 2018 USAToday.
Satellite imagery from mid-2015 shows the school was walled off from the Iranian military base BBC.
Ongoing Conflict
The strike occurred amid broader conflict, including airstrikes across Iran on February 28, coinciding with the time Iranian children typically go to school on Saturdays Wikipedia.