Iran School Strike Raises Questions Over US Responsibility

A U.S. military investigation is examining whether American forces were responsible for a strike that hit a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, on Saturday, during the opening phase of coordinated U.S. and Israeli military operations. Two U.S. officials told Reuters that investigators believe it is “likely” that U.S. forces carried out the strike, though they emphasized that the assessment remains preliminary and that the inquiry has not reached a final conclusion.

The incident occurred on the first day of the campaign, when U.S. and Israeli forces began targeting Iranian military infrastructure across the country. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, said the strike killed 150 students. Reuters said it could not independently verify the casualty figure.

The U.S. Defense Department confirmed the investigation but offered no operational details. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged the inquiry during a Wednesday briefing, stating: “We’re investigating that. We, of course, never target civilian targets. But we’re taking a look and investigating that.” Officials also cautioned that further evidence could emerge that alters the initial assessment or attributes the strike to another actor.

The strike occurred amid a coordinated air campaign in which the United States and Israel divided operational responsibilities geographically and by target category. According to a senior Israeli official and a source with direct knowledge of joint planning, Israeli forces focused primarily on missile launch sites in western Iran, while U.S. forces struck missile and naval targets in southern regions, including areas near the Persian Gulf.

Minab lies in southern Iran, within the geographic sector where U.S. forces were conducting strikes. However, investigators have not publicly identified the munition type, the launch platform, or the unit responsible. Reuters said it could not determine what evidence investigators are reviewing or how long the inquiry will take to complete.

Pentagon officials have declined to discuss the incident in detail while the investigation continues. Captain Timothy Hawkins, spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said: “It would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation.”

Senior U.S. officials have stressed that American doctrine prohibits deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure such as schools or hospitals. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the issue earlier in the week, telling reporters that the United States would not intentionally strike a school.

“The Department of War would be investigating that if that was our strike, and I would refer your question to them,” Rubio said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also declined to comment directly on the investigation’s findings but defended U.S. targeting practices. “While the Department of War is currently investigating this matter, the Iranian regime targets civilians and children, not the United States of America,” she said in a statement to Reuters.

Under international humanitarian law, deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure such as schools or hospitals could constitute a war crime. The United Nations human rights office has called for a full investigation into the incident.

The U.N. human rights office stopped short of assigning responsibility but emphasized the need for accountability from whichever military carried out the strike. “The onus is on the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it,” spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said at a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.

Images broadcast by Iranian state television on Tuesday showed the funerals of children reportedly killed in the strike. Small coffins draped in Iranian flags were carried through large crowds before burial.

If confirmed, the incident could represent one of the deadliest single civilian casualty events linked to U.S. military operations in the Middle East in decades. However, investigators have not yet determined responsibility, the weapon involved, or the operational circumstances surrounding the strike.