U.S.-Made Tomahawk Fragments Found in Minab Strike

Photos posted by Iranian state media show debris from the Feb. 28 Minab strike, bearing serial numbers and components consistent with a U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile, potentially linking the deadly school and naval base attack to American precision-guided munitions.

March 10, 2026 Gaye Sude Kayışlı

Among the displayed weapon fragments, The Times identified parts of American manufacture.

Gaye Sude Kayışlı

Editor

Iranian state media published images of mangled missile fragments from the Feb. 28 strikes in Minab, southern Iran, claiming they were from the attack that hit a naval base and an elementary school. Analysis by The New York Times indicates the debris bears serial numbers and markings consistent with a U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile manufactured in 2014 or later.

Photos posted on Telegram show remnants displayed near the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school, most of which was destroyed, with at least 175 people reportedly killed, predominantly children. While it is not fully clear whether the fragments relate specifically to the school strike, the components align with U.S. Department of Defense labeling and supply records.

Iran’s state-run IRIB news channel - The New York Times

U.S. Tomahawk Evidence

Key components include:

SDL Antenna (satellite data link) stamped with a 2014 Department of Defense contract number and manufacturer Ball Aerospace Technologies, now part of BAE Systems.
Another component stamped “Made in USA”, produced by Globe Motors, Ohio, responsible for actuator motors controlling guidance fins.

Trevor Ball, former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal technician and Bellingcat researcher, confirmed these parts match Tomahawk missile components previously documented in Yemen and Syria. Open-source databases corroborate these findings, showing identical remnants in prior conflicts.

The Pentagon defines the Tomahawk as a precision-guided cruise missile, capable of striking land targets with high accuracy. Videos released by the U.S. Defense Department on Feb. 28 show Navy warships launching Tomahawks at southern Iranian targets, coinciding with the Minab strikes.

U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested Iran might have carried out the school strike, stating, “Iran also has some Tomahawks. As you know, numerous other nations have Tomahawks. They buy them from us.” This is inconsistent with verified facts: only the U.S., U.K., Australia, Japan, and the Netherlands possess Tomahawk missiles, and Iran has none. Moreover, Iran lacks the technical systems and launchers required to operate Tomahawks.

Analysts caution that while the fragments strongly indicate a U.S.-made Tomahawk, the exact origin of the debris and the attack targeting sequence remain under investigation.