US probe finds missile strike on Iranian school was a targeting mistake

WASHINGTON: A US military investigation has concluded that American forces were responsible for a missile strike that hit a school in Iran, killing at least 175 people, with preliminary findings indicating the attack resulted from a targeting error during military operations.

The strike took place in the southern Iranian city of Minab, where an elementary school building was destroyed during a wave of U.S. attacks aimed at Iranian military facilities. Iranian officials said the strike killed students and staff, making it one of the deadliest single incidents involving civilians since hostilities escalated between Washington and Tehran.

According to officials briefed on the inquiry, the investigation by the United States Department of Defense found that the missile strike was mistakenly directed at the school after it was misidentified as part of a nearby military facility operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Analysts reviewing the case said the school was located close to an IRGC naval installation and had previously been part of the same complex before being converted into an educational facility.

Investigators believe the error occurred because targeting data relied on outdated intelligence records that still listed the building as a military structure. The coordinates were reportedly generated using intelligence compiled by the Defense Intelligence Agency and passed to operational planners responsible for selecting targets during the strike campaign.

The missile used in the attack is believed to have been a Tomahawk cruise missile, which U.S. forces have deployed extensively in the conflict for long-range precision strikes against Iranian military infrastructure. Evidence from debris and satellite imagery reviewed by analysts indicated the missile struck the school compound during a coordinated operation targeting nearby IRGC naval facilities.

U.S. officials said the investigation remains ongoing and emphasized that American forces do not deliberately target civilian infrastructure. Military authorities are reviewing how the targeting process failed and whether additional safeguards are needed to prevent similar incidents during future operations.

The strike has drawn strong condemnation from Iranian authorities and raised concerns among humanitarian organisations about civilian protection during the ongoing conflict. International law experts note that schools are protected civilian sites under the Geneva Conventions, and any attack resulting from negligence or misidentification could potentially constitute a violation of the laws of armed conflict.

The incident has further heightened tensions between the United States and Iran as fighting between the two countries continues to expand across the region. Analysts warn that mounting civilian casualties risk intensifying international pressure for investigations and accountability as the conflict deepens.