Targeting mistake led to US missile strike on Iranian school — report
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A United States (US) military investigation has determined that a US Tomahawk missile struck an Iranian elementary school because of a targeting mistake, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
The newspaper, citing US officials, said the investigation into the February 28 attack was ongoing but preliminary findings were that the United States was responsible.
CNN, citing unidentified sources briefed on the probe, also reported that the US military accidentally struck the school in the southern city of Minab.
The Times said the US military was bombing an adjacent Iranian base of which the school building was formerly a part and target coordinates were set using outdated data.
President Donald Trump initially suggested that Iran itself may have been responsible — despite Iran not having Tomahawk missiles.
He later said he could “live with” whatever the investigation reveals, but when asked about the Times report Wednesday, he told reporters: “I don’t know about it.”
Iranian media report that funerals were held for at least 165 people, including children, at the school. The toll has not been verified independently.
The Times said US Central Command officers created the target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency.
It said investigators were still looking at why outdated information was used in planning the strike and who failed to verify the data.
The newspaper said the school is on the same block as buildings used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s navy and the site of the school was originally part of the base.
It said the building housing the school had been fenced off from the base between 2013 and 2016.
AFP has been unable to access the location of the strike to independently verify details reported by Iranian media.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed the United States and Israel.
Israel has consistently denied any involvement in or knowledge of the strike, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that the United States would not intentionally target a school.
