(LifeSiteNews) — According to a New York Times report on Wednesday, an ongoing military inquiry has concluded that the United States was responsible for a lethal Tomahawk missile strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, that killed at least 175 people, mostly children.
Citing U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the ongoing investigation determined that the February 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school building resulted from a U.S. military targeting error.
The U.S. was carrying out strikes on a nearby Iranian military base, of which the school building had previously been included before being repurposed.
Officers at U.S. Central Command generated the target coordinates using outdated information supplied by the Defense Intelligence Agency, according to individuals briefed on the inquiry.
The officials stressed that the findings remain preliminary and that key questions remain unresolved regarding why the outdated information was not verified or double-checked before clearing the attack.
US ‘AT FAULT’ in strike on Iran’s Minab girls’ school that KILLED at least 170 — NYT citing ‘preliminary inquiry’
Mehr News footage of moment missile hit school on Feb. 28 pic.twitter.com/bGfRXzyZUh
— RT (@RT_com) March 11, 2026
Trump ‘only person’ in his government blaming Iran
While evidence was mounting of the U.S. being responsible for the deadly attack, President Donald Trump attempted to shift the blame for the incident to Iran, a claim that was not supported by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth even as he stood over Trump’s left shoulder.
“Based on what I’ve seen, it was done by Iran,” Trump said of the attack while flying Saturday on Air Force One.
Asked if the president’s statement was true, Hegseth declined to endorse it, saying, “We’re certainly investigating. But the only side that targets civilians is Iran.”
Requesting an update on the investigation, the Intercept inquired of U.S. Central Command, the regional military authority overseeing the Middle East. In response, a spokesperson wrote back, “It would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation,” despite the president having done so precisely.
Reporter: Did the US bomb an elementary school and kill 175 people?
Trump: Based on what I’ve seen, it was done by Iran.
Reporter: Is that true Mr. Hegseth?
Hegseth: We’re investigating.
Trump: They are very inaccurate with their munitions. It was done by Iran. pic.twitter.com/L3Y1zuV27E
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 7, 2026
Additionally, in a Monday press conference, a reporter challenged Trump for suggesting “that Iran somehow got its hands on a Tomahawk and bombed its own elementary school on the first day of the war,” yet at the same time asking why the president was the “only person” in his government saying such a thing.
“Because I just don’t know enough about it,” the president replied. “I think it’s something that I was told is under investigation. But Tomahawks are used by others, as you know. Numerous other nations have Tomahawks. They buy them from us.”
According to The New York Times, “Iran has no Tomahawks,” and the only other two nations that are known to possess them are Australia and Britain. Furthermore, should any such country wish to sell or transfer them to a third party, they would first have to receive authorization from the U.S. State Department.
US and Israel’s ‘most lethal’ attack thus far kills 1,245 civilians
Though the massacre at Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school may be the worst tragedy thus far in the war, U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have struck many civilian targets throughout Iran since the conflict began on February 28, resulting in enormous damage.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a U.S.-based nongovernmental organization highly critical of the Iranian government, has documented numerous strikes on civilian targets and substantial civilian casualties.
On Monday night, the group reported that since the start of the war, it has recorded 1,245 civilian deaths — including 194 children — as well as 189 military fatalities. An additional 327 deaths remain unclassified.
HRANA reported that Monday’s strikes included attacks on two museums, a medical center, a sports stadium, a car dealership, and several military targets. According to the group, a total of 40 civilians were killed over the previous 24-hour period.
During a March 2 press conference, Hegseth said, “America, regardless of what so-called international institutions say, is unleashing the most lethal and precise air power campaign in history.” Then appearing to dismiss international law, he said the attacks were being done, “All on our terms,” including “No stupid rules of engagement.”
More than 19,700 civilian structures damaged thus far
A new investigation by Airwars, a UK-based organization that monitors airstrikes, determined that the opening days of the war in Iran involved far more targeted sites than any recent U.S. or Israeli military operation.
“While the rate of civilian harm cannot be solely predicted by the number of targets hit, initial indications suggest it has been high — particularly with U.S. targets correlating with heavily populated areas,” the Airwars report states. “The targets map heavily onto the highest populated areas.”
Additionally, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) — an organization similar to the American Red Cross — in bombing civilian targets across Iran, U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have already damaged more than 19,700 civilian structures.
These include “16,191 residential units, 3,384 commercial units, 77 pharmaceutical and medical centers, and at least 69 schools.”
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