A preliminary investigation by the United States military has found that a missile strike which hit an elementary school in southern Iran in February was likely caused by a targeting mistake by US forces, The New York Times reported.
Citing unnamed US officials and others familiar with the early findings, the report said the February 28 strike destroyed the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab after it was mistakenly classified as a military target.
Iranian authorities said at least 175 people, most of them children, were killed in the attack.
According to the report, the strike was carried out during operations targeting nearby facilities used by the naval wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The school building had previously been part of that complex.
Investigators found that officers at US Central Command prepared the strike coordinates using outdated intelligence data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, which mistakenly classified the building as a military target.
Satellite imagery reviewed by The New York Times showed the site had been separated from the surrounding military compound years earlier and displayed clear signs of use as an educational facility, including sports areas and brightly coloured walls.
The school stands near installations linked to the IRGC Navy, one of the main targets of US military operations in the conflict.
The report said investigators are also examining whether intelligence analysis from agencies such as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which supplies satellite imagery for military planning, was properly assessed.
The White House said the inquiry is continuing and declined to comment further while the review remains underway.
Amid reports that the United States carried out the attack on the girls’ school, President Donald Trump denied responsibility and instead blamed Iran. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the strike was likely carried out by Iran itself, claiming Iranian weapons lacked accuracy.
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