US Military Officials Disclose Likely Responsibility for Devastating Iranian School Strike
In a significant development that has sent shockwaves through international diplomatic circles, two US military officials briefed on an ongoing investigation have disclosed that American forces were likely responsible for the devastating strike on an Iranian girls' school in Minab on February 28. The Pentagon has confirmed an investigation is underway but has not yet reached final conclusions about the incident that Iranian authorities say killed more than 160 people, predominantly children.
Investigation Reveals Preliminary Assessment Points to US Involvement
According to the two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters, military investigators have developed a preliminary assessment indicating US forces were probably responsible for the apparent strike on the educational facility. The officials emphasized that this remains a tentative conclusion and that new evidence could potentially emerge pointing to another responsible party. Reuters reported it was unable to determine further details about the investigation, including what specific evidence contributed to this assessment, what type of munition was used, or why the US might have targeted the school.
Official Responses and Diplomatic Fallout
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth acknowledged on Wednesday that the US military was actively investigating the incident, stating during a news briefing: "We're investigating that. We, of course, never target civilian targets. But we're taking a look and investigating that." The Pentagon referred specific questions to Central Command, whose spokesperson Captain Timothy Hawkins stated it would be inappropriate to comment given the ongoing investigation.
The White House did not directly address the investigation but issued a statement through press secretary Karoline Leavitt: "While the Department of War is currently investigating this matter, the Iranian regime targets civilians and children, not the United States of America." Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that the US would not deliberately target a school, referring questions about the incident to the Department of War.
Context of the Attack and International Reaction
The girls' school in Minab, located in southern Iran, was struck on Saturday during the first day of coordinated US and Israeli attacks on Iranian territory. According to a senior Israeli official and a source with direct knowledge of joint planning, Israeli and US forces had previously divided their attacks geographically and by target type, with Israel focusing on missile launch sites in western Iran while the US targeted similar installations and naval assets in the south.
Iran's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, stated the strike killed 150 students, though Reuters could not independently confirm the exact death toll. Images broadcast on Iranian state television showed a mass funeral on Tuesday for the victims, with small coffins draped in Iranian flags being passed through a large crowd toward burial sites.
Potential War Crimes and Historical Significance
The United Nations human rights office has called for a thorough investigation into the attack on the school, with spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani telling a press briefing in Geneva: "The onus is on the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it." International humanitarian law experts note that deliberately attacking a school, hospital, or any civilian structure would probably constitute a war crime under established international protocols.
If US involvement is ultimately confirmed through the ongoing investigation, this strike would rank among the worst cases of civilian casualties in decades of conflicts throughout the Middle East region, potentially creating significant diplomatic repercussions and complicating ongoing military operations. The incident has already intensified international scrutiny of military operations in the area and raised serious questions about targeting protocols and civilian protection measures.
