175 people killed in school strike in Iran. doubts remain
Investigators are looking into whether the building’s proximity to other nearby facilities may have played a role in the deadly explosion.
While a U.S. investigation is ongoing, President Donald Trump has blamed Iran for the Feb. 28 bombing that Iranian authorities said killed 175 people and destroyed Shajare Tayebeh Elementary School, an all-girls school in Minab.
President Trump made the accusation aboard Air Force One on March 7, shortly after attending a dignified handover ceremony at Dover Air Force Base for six U.S. service members killed in Iranian drone strikes during the first weekend of the Middle East conflict.
“In my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran,” Trump said, adding that Iran’s military targets were “very inaccurate.”
“They have no accuracy at all,” he said. “It was done by Iran.”
US Army Secretary Pete Hegseth added: “The only side that targets civilians is Iran.” He said an investigation into the bombing was ongoing.
Iranian officials blamed both the United States and Israel for the deadly attack.
Here’s what else the Trump administration said about the bombing:
White House: “U.S. does not target civilians”
Despite President Trump’s claims, questions remain about who is responsible for the strike at an Iranian girls’ school that killed 175 people, most of them children, including dozens of girls between the ages of 7 and 12, Iranian news agency IRNA and Iranian officials said.
Reuters and the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed US sources, that US military investigators believe it is “likely” that US forces attacked the girls’ school.
In response to the Reuters report, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said: “The investigation is ongoing. No conclusions have been reached at this time. Reuters’ assertion otherwise is irresponsible and false.”
“As we have said, unlike the terrorist Iranian regime, the United States is not targeting civilians,” Kerry added.
The Pentagon has remained silent about the bombing, other than to say it is investigating reports of civilian casualties.
Did the US launch a missile near a girls’ school?
At a press conference on March 4, Gen. Dan Cain, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suggested that the United States had conducted airstrikes near the girls’ school. Shining a laser pointer on a map showing the regional impact, Kaine explained that U.S. forces are concentrated in southern Iran, while Israel is concentrated in northern Iran.
“Along the southern axis, the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group continues to provide pressure from the sea along the southeast side of the coast, draining naval power along the straits all the way to the Arabian Gulf,” Cain said.
An analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies said U.S. efforts are concentrated in southern and central Iran, while Israeli efforts are concentrated in northern Iran.
“We are aware of reports of civilian casualties from ongoing military operations. We take these reports seriously and are investigating them,” said Col. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the region.
Contributions: Josh Meyer, Ramon Padilla, Kim Hjelmgaard/USA TODAY
