Four months after a US Tomahawk cruise missile struck a girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran, killing at least 175 people—mostly children—the Pentagon has yet to release findings of its investigation. Reports indicate the probe has concluded, but critics fear the Trump administration, under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, will bury the results under classification.
Attack Details and Aftermath
The strike occurred on the first day of the US-Iran war, targeting a building believed to be an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base. Back-to-back missiles hit the school, killing children under 12. Mohammadreza Ahmadi Tifakani lost two children: seven-year-old Hanieh died instantly; her brother Sobhan, 10, survived the first blast but was killed while searching for her. "I personally went to the morgue and identified both of them," Tifakani told the Guardian. "Sobhan was missing an eye, and half of his face was gone."
Pentagon Investigation and Secrecy
Media reports suggest the investigation concluded that outdated targeting data—seven years old—failed to identify the building as a school. The New York Times reported that an analyst had warned colleagues years earlier, but data was not updated. President Donald Trump, at a G7 press conference, dismissed the attack as a mistake: "Nobody did that on purpose." He later claimed the investigation continues, but US Central Command offered no update. Former Pentagon officials doubt transparency. One former senior official said, "I'm very doubtful that the Hegseth Pentagon will follow through" on accountability.
Hegseth's Policy Changes
Under Hegseth, the Pentagon has shuttered or reduced units reviewing civilian casualties, part of an "anti-woke" crusade. He stated in March, "Our rules of engagement are bold, precise and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it." A May inspector general report concluded the military lacks personnel and tools to comply with federal civilian casualty statutes. Wes Bryant, a former targeting expert, said colleagues overseeing civilian harm were barred from seeing preliminary results. "I believe Hegseth and Trump are both going to do everything they can to suppress this investigation," he said.
Congressional and Human Rights Concerns
Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) has demanded answers but received little response. "Donald Trump is hiding the truth from the American people," she said. Niku Jafarnia of Human Rights Watch noted Hegseth's skepticism about constraints on fighters, saying, "We saw the effects of that on day one of the war." Tifakani expressed despair: "They are witnessing everything themselves. No matter what we say, that will not change anything."
