New Forensic Analysis Challenges Trump's Denial in Deadly Iran School Strike
Fresh evidence has emerged that directly contradicts former President Donald Trump's claim that the United States was not responsible for a missile strike that destroyed a girls' primary school in Iran, killing at least 165 people, many of them children. Detailed forensic analysis of newly released video and satellite imagery strongly suggests the attack was carried out with a US Tomahawk missile.
The Strike and Initial Denial
On February 28, a missile hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh School in Minab, located in Iran's Hormozgan Province. Iranian authorities reported the devastating strike resulted in a minimum of 165 fatalities, with a significant number of the victims being young schoolgirls. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, President Trump explicitly denied any American involvement in the attack.
"From what I've seen, that was done by Iran," Trump stated, shifting blame away from US forces. However, this assertion is now facing serious challenges based on meticulous open-source investigation.
Video Evidence Points to US Tomahawk
A video released by Iran's Mehr News Agency and geolocated by forensic analysts captures the moment a missile strikes an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base in Minab. This base is situated immediately adjacent to the Shajareh Tayyebeh School. In the footage, dense smoke is already visible billowing from the school's direction, indicating it had been hit moments before the recorded impact on the military facility.
Munitions expert N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services, analyzed the video and identified the weapon as a Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile. "The video shows a Tomahawk missile striking a target," Jenzen-Jones confirmed. "Given the belligerents, that indicates it is a US strike, as Israel is not known to possess Tomahawk missiles. Despite various claims circulating online, the munition in question is clearly not an Iranian Soumar missile."
The identification hinges on the unique wings protruding from the missile's body, which are characteristic of the Tomahawk and unfold after launch. Separate video released by US Central Command, filmed on the same day as the school strike, shows Tomahawk missiles being launched from an American warship during operations in the region.
Satellite Imagery and Precision Damage
High-resolution satellite imagery of the school and the neighboring naval base reveals extensive structural damage consistent with precision-guided munitions. Circular impact holes are visible in the center of three buildings within the IRGC base, including a structure identified as a clinic and pharmacy. A strikingly similar circular hole is evident in a section of the school building that remained standing after the attack.
"The satellite imagery taken together with known US operational practice makes it almost certain that these strikes were conducted with precision guided munitions," Jenzen-Jones told analysts, reinforcing the likelihood of US involvement.
Historical Context and Civilian Protection
Satellite imagery from 2013 shows the school building originally situated within the IRGC compound perimeter. However, imagery from 2016 and 2018 reveals that a wall was constructed, physically separating the school and its playground from the military base. Later images show the walls painted in bright colors and the school grounds decorated with chalk markings for sports and play, clearly demarcating it as a civilian, educational space.
This separation underscores the school's protected status under international humanitarian law, which expressly safeguards children and civilian buildings like schools from military attack. United Nations experts last week vehemently condemned the strike, calling it "a grave assault on children, on education, and on the future of an entire community."
Aftermath and Ongoing Investigation
Videos from the aftermath show rescue workers desperately digging through the rubble of the collapsed school. A child's backpack, covered in dust and debris, was visible among the ruins. On March 3, Mehr News Agency released photographs showing rows of graves being prepared at the Minab Cemetery, with at least 100 burial plots dug or in progress.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has stated that the strike on the school remains under investigation, while simultaneously asserting that "the only side that targets civilians is Iran." The new forensic evidence, however, presents a significant challenge to the official narrative and demands accountability for one of the deadliest single incidents in the recent conflict.
The analysis conducted combines traditional investigative journalism with advanced techniques in satellite imagery interpretation, munitions identification, and geolocation, providing a transparent and data-driven account that questions high-level denials and highlights the tragic cost of military engagement on civilian lives.
