The United States may have been responsible for the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran that killed 168 people on the first day of strikes in Iran on February 28, CBS News reported.
Citing sources, the report said a preliminary US assessment indicated Washington was “probably” responsible for the attack, adding that they may not have deliberately targeted the school and may have hit it by mistake, possibly due to the use of outdated intelligence that incorrectly identified the area as part of an Iranian military facility.
Trump’s remarks on school strike
The development is in stark contrast to what US President Donald Trump said on March 7. Asked if the U.S. had carried out the strikes that hit the girls’ school, Trump said without evidence: “No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, Iran did.” He went on to say that Tehran is “very inaccurate” with the ammunition. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was quick to say that Washington was investigating the matter.
Is Trump’s claim incorrect?
Additionally, according to the AP report, investigative group Bellingcat also said the newly released video “appears to contradict” Trump’s claim that Iran was responsible for the explosion at the girls’ school. The group released a three-second video clip shot on the day the school was hit. The clip shows munitions impacting the building, sending a dark cloud rising into the air and merging with smoke likely caused by earlier strikes on the compound. Bellingcat researcher Trevor Ball posted the video to a location near the school.
The researcher also identified the munition that hit the school building as a Tomahawk cruise missile, which only the US has in this war. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that Tomahawk cruise missiles were used in the conflict and shared an image showing the USS Spruance (DDG-111), part of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) carrier strike group, firing a Tomahawk missile from a position within range of the school on February 28.
The Israeli army denies responsibility
According to a CBS News report, sources claimed that investigators believed the US was behind the blast because it was operating in the area while the Israeli military was not; however, no conclusions were drawn. In addition, an Israeli government source denied Tel Aviv’s responsibility for the attack on the school building, saying that its military was not operating near the school.
Schoolgirls were killed in the American strike
A list published by Iranian state media based on information from authorities in the Minab district identified 57 people killed. Human Rights Watch said at least 48 of those listed are children, according to the dates of birth given, along with the school principal and several teachers.
