Evidence Points To Possible US Airstrike Behind Deadly Blast At Iranian School
New evidence suggests that the deadly explosion at a school in Iran that killed scores of students may have been caused by a US airstrike. Satellite imagery, expert analysis, statements from a US official, and public information released by the US and Israeli militaries indicate that the blast likely occurred during an attack on a nearby compound linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The strike took place on February 28 at Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in the city of Minab, about 1,100 kilometres southeast of Tehran. According to Iranian state media, more than 165 people were killed in the explosion during school hours, with most of the victims reported to be children. It is believed to be the deadliest civilian incident since the war began.
Satellite images reviewed by the Associated Press show the school building largely reduced to rubble, with a distinctive crescent-shaped hole in the roof. Experts say the pattern of destruction seen in the images is consistent with a targeted airstrike.
Iran has blamed both the United States and Israel for the attack. However, neither country has officially taken responsibility. Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the incident was under investigation. “We never target civilian locations,” he said, adding that officials are reviewing what happened.
One factor raising questions about possible US involvement is that the American military has opened a formal assessment into the incident. Under Pentagon procedures, such reviews typically begin when investigators believe US forces may have been involved. A US official, speaking anonymously, told the Associated Press that the strike was likely carried out by the United States.
The location of the school has also drawn attention. The building sits next to a compound linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in Hormozgan Province and close to facilities used by its naval forces. The US military has previously acknowledged carrying out strikes against naval targets in the same province.
Israel, for its part, has denied conducting the strike. Its operations in the conflict have mainly focused on areas closer to its borders and it has not reported strikes in southern Iran.
The United States currently has warships operating in the Arabian Sea, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which is within range of the area where the blast occurred.
Experts reviewing the images say several buildings within the Revolutionary Guard compound were also hit, with visible craters, burned roofs and collapsed structures. Some analysts believe the school may have served children of Guard personnel because of its proximity to military facilities.
Video footage from Iranian state television verified through satellite imagery showed dozens of fresh graves being dug in a nearby cemetery shortly after the attack, reflecting the scale of the casualties.
The incident has drawn strong criticism from the United Nations and human rights organisations. Legal experts say that if a military strike hit the school, it could constitute a violation of international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits attacks on civilian targets such as schools.
Analysts studying the images say the strikes appear highly precise, with most of the damage confined to the compound and very little destruction in nearby residential areas. This suggests the use of guided air-to-surface weapons rather than stray missiles or accidental explosions.
However, investigators say determining exactly what happened remains difficult because independent observers have not yet been able to access the site due to the ongoing conflict. Experts say identifying the type of weapon used would require examining fragments or conducting an on-site investigation.
If the strike is ultimately confirmed to have been carried out by US or Israeli forces, specialists believe the tragedy may have resulted from an intelligence or targeting failure — possibly misidentifying the location or failing to update information about the building’s use.
For now, the investigation continues, while the devastating loss of young lives has intensified global concern about the humanitarian cost of the war.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
