Evidence Suggests U.S. Airstrikes Likely Killed Scores of Iranian Students at School
Key Takeaways
- Satellite imagery, expert analysis, and U.S./Israeli military information point to likely U.S. airstrikes
- The blast killed scores of Iranian students at a school
- An adjacent compound associated with the regime was also hit
Incident overview
An Associated Press examination says satellite imagery, expert analysis, a U.S. official and public information from U.S. and Israeli militaries indicate the Feb. 28 explosion that killed scores of students at Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab was likely caused by U.S. airstrikes that also struck a nearby compound tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
“Evidence suggests the deadly blast at an Iranian school was likely a US airstrike JERUSALEM (AP) — Satellite images, expert analysis, a U”
Iran has blamed both Israel and the United States, and neither country has claimed responsibility.
More than 165 people—most of them children—were reported killed, according to Iranian state media.
Physical evidence cited
The AP published satellite images showing most of the Minab school reduced to rubble with “a crescent shape punched into its roof.”
Experts say the tight damage pattern in the photos is consistent with a targeted airstrike.
The report also notes “several factors point to a U.S. strike,” including the U.S. military’s decision to launch an assessment of the incident.
Casualties and reaction
The AP said the Feb. 28 strike produced the highest reported civilian death toll since the war began.
“Evidence suggests the deadly blast at an Iranian school was likely a US airstrike JERUSALEM (AP) — Satellite images, expert analysis, a U”
The event drew “staunch criticism from the United Nations and human rights monitors.”
The piece emphasizes the heavy toll on children and frames the event as the deadliest single civilian incident covered in its reporting.
U.S. response and probe
The AP reported U.S. officials opened an assessment into the incident.
At a Pentagon briefing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, “All I can say is that we’re investigating that. We, of course, never target civilian targets. But we’re taking a look and investigating that.”
The AP noted Pentagon guidance says an assessment is launched after investigators make an initial determination the U.S. military may bear culpability.
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