US strike likely hit a school in Iran due to outdated intelligence, sources briefed on initial findings say

The US military accidentally struck an Iranian elementary school on February 28, hitting the Shajareh Tayyiba school in Minab, state media said.

“The US military accidentally struck an Iranian elementary school, in an attack that state media said killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers, likely due to outdated information about a nearby naval base, according to two sources briefed on the preliminary findings of an ongoing military investigation”

CNN

State media said the strike killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers.

CNN

Two sources briefed on preliminary findings of an ongoing military investigation said the strike was likely due to outdated information about a nearby naval base.

The initial investigation found the strike occurred while the US military was conducting strikes on a neighboring Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facility.

US Central Command created target coordinates for the strike using outdated information provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, which contributed to the mistake, the sources briefed on the preliminary findings told CNN.

CNN

Satellite imagery from 2013 showed the school and the IRGC base were once part of the same compound, imagery from 2016 showed a fence and a separate entrance to the school, and December 2025 imagery showed dozens of people in the school’s courtyard apparently playing.

Video geolocated by CNN and released by Mehr News shows a munition that experts said is consistent with an American BGM or UGM-109 Tomahawk striking a location inside the IRGC base on February 28, and as the camera pans a huge plume of smoke can be seen from the direction of the Shajareh Tayyiba school.

“The US military accidentally struck an Iranian elementary school, in an attack that state media said killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers, likely due to outdated information about a nearby naval base, according to two sources briefed on the preliminary findings of an ongoing military investigation”

CNN

Missile debris that Iranian officials claimed was recovered appeared to be from an American Tomahawk cruise missile, a CNN analysis previously found, though it was not possible to confirm whether the fragments were from the school strike, a strike on the neighboring IRGC naval base or elsewhere.

The Pentagon classifies the missiles as precision-guided munitions, and multiple buildings at the base appear to have been struck by precision missiles.

The cruise missiles are produced by Raytheon and are held by only a small group of US allies authorized to purchase them; multiple munitions experts confirmed to CNN that Iran does not have them, and even Israel does not possess them.

Questions remain about what led to the strike and who was ultimately responsible as the investigation continues.

President Donald Trump said he was unaware of a New York Times report about the preliminary finding and said, “I don’t know about that,” and later said he did not “know enough about it.”

CNN

A Defense Intelligence Agency spokesperson said, “The incident is under investigation; we defer to the Pentagon for further comment,” and a US Central Command spokesperson declined to comment on the preliminary findings, citing the ongoing investigation.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “As the New York Times acknowledges in its own reporting, the investigation is still ongoing.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strike will be “thoroughly” investigated, that the US has “attempted in every way possible to avoid civilian casualties,” and he accused Iran of targeting civilians “indiscriminately.”

The New York Times first reported details of the preliminary investigation, and multiple sources told CNN the preliminary findings are consistent with the US military having conducted the strike.