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TEHRAN — A missile strike that martyred at least 175 people at a girls\u2019 elementary school in the southern city of Minab has become one of the most controversial episodes of the United States\u2019 ongoing war with Tehran, prompting accusations that President Donald Trump misled the public about responsibility for the attack.<\/p>\n
International organizations, lawmakers in Washington and independent analysts have described the Feb. 28 attack on Shajareh Tayyebeh School as one of the deadliest incidents of civilian casualties since the start of the U.S. and Israeli military campaign against the Islamic Republic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The majority of the murdered schoolgirls aged between 7 and 12.<\/p>\n
In the days following the bombing, Trump publicly asserted that Iran itself was responsible for the destruction of the school.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, Trump\u2019s claim has faced mounting evidence from defense officials, independent analysts. Preliminary findings from a Pentagon investigation indicate the missile was launched by U.S. forces.<\/p>\n
Also, an emerging gap between the president\u2019s statements and available evidence has ignited a controversy regarding civilian casualties when it comes to modern warfare.<\/p>\n
According to footage circulated by Iran\u2019s Mehr News Agency, a cruise missile initially struck a naval base adjacent to the school. Moments later, smoke appeared rising from the school building itself.<\/p>\n
Later, investigators with the open-source research organization Bellingcat analyzed the video and concluded the weapon used was a Tomahawk cruise missile, which is known a long-range precision munition developed and deployed by the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The United Nations cultural agency UNESCO described the attack as a \u201cgrave violation\u201d of international law governing the protection of schools and civilians during armed conflict.<\/p>\n
According to various sources, the scale of the casualties shocked many observers, including American lawmakers who have questioned both the legality of the war itself and the handling of the incident.<\/p>\n
\u00a0What was Trump\u2019s claim?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n On March 7, Trump addressed the attack publicly, rejecting the suggestion that U.S. forces were responsible. \u201cBased on what I\u2019ve seen, it was done by Iran,\u201d the president said, asserting that Tehran may have fired the missile that struck the school.<\/p>\n He also suggested that the Islamic Republic of Iran possessed such U.S.-manufactured Tomahawk missiles, in an address if such weapons could have been used in the strike.<\/p>\n \u00a0Evidence from officials and analysts<\/strong><\/p>\n Defense experts quickly challenged the claim that was made by Trump, citing that only three countries of the U.S., UK, and Australia, possess operational Tomahawk cruise missiles.\u00a0<\/p>\n They underlined that neither Britain nor Australia is involved in the conflict with Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cIran definitely does not, repeat does not, have Tomahawks,\u201d said Jeffrey Lewis, a specialist in global security at Middlebury College.<\/p>\n Similarly, the retired U.S. Army general Barry McCaffrey dismissed the president\u2019s explanation in a social-media post, calling it \u201castonishing bald-faced lying.<\/p>\n Wes Bryant, a U.S. government official who reviewed satellite imagery of the strike said the damage pattern was consistent with a U.S. precision attack rather than a malfunctioning Iranian rocket.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis clearly was not a failed rocket from the IRGC base,\u201d the official said, referring to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.<\/p>\n \u201cThe strikes on this compound have the signature of a U.S. strike,\u201d Bryant said. \u201cThis entire compound–including the girls\u2019 school–was deliberately targeted in a highly precise strike operation.\u201d<\/p>\n Bryant suggested that the most likely explanation was \u201ctarget misidentification,\u201d meaning U.S. forces mistakenly believed the school compound was a military facility.<\/p>\n In addition, preliminary findings from a Pentagon investigation appear to support that possibility. According to officials familiar with the inquiry, outdated or inaccurate targeting data may have led to the school being incorrectly identified as a military site.<\/p>\n Moreover, according to military experts, armed targeting operations typically require verification by multiple agencies, including intelligence analysts and officers at regional commands such as U.S. Central Command.\u00a0<\/p>\n But officials say that during the opening days of a fast-moving conflict, information can sometimes be incomplete or insufficiently verified.<\/p>\n Congressional pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n The controversy over the Trump\u2019s claim has also prompted growing pressure from lawmakers for transparency and accountability.<\/p>\n Led by Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, 44 senators sent a letter to the Department of Defense demanding a full investigation and public disclosure of the findings.<\/p>\n \u201cWe write with grave concern regarding the airstrikes on a girls\u2019 elementary school that reportedly killed at least 168 people–mostly children–in Minab, Iran during the opening salvo of U.S. and Israeli operations on Iran,\u201d the senators wrote.<\/p>\n The lawmakers noted that the military campaign against Iran had not received formal authorization from Congress.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be clear, the war against Iran is a war of choice without Congressional authorization,\u201d the letter by senators stated. \u201cHowever, as these military actions continue, the United States and Israel must abide by U.S. and international law, including the law of armed conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n Among those signing the letter were prominent Democrats including Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, Tim Kaine, Chuck Schumer and Patty Murray, to name a few.\u00a0<\/p>\n The senators have also called for an immediate investigation into the Minab strike and any other incidents involving civilian casualties.<\/p>\n Political outcome<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition to the cited officials, political figures and experts, some U.S. lawmakers have been sharply critical of Trump administration\u2019s handling of the attack.<\/p>\n In that regard, Senator Bernie Sanders wrote on social media that the president\u2019s explanation had been contradicted by the military\u2019s own findings.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOn Saturday, Trump told us the attack on an elementary school in Iran that killed 175 people–mostly children–\u2018was done by Iran,\u2019\u201d Sanders wrote. \u201cNow the U.S. military admits it was a U.S. strike. If they are lying about something as obvious as this, what else are they lying about?\u201d<\/p>\n Senator Warren described the bombing as \u201cone of the most devastating military errors in decades.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrump lied about it,\u201d she wrote in a social-media post. She also criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, arguing that the Pentagon had weakened programs designed to reduce civilian casualties.<\/p>\n \u201c175 are dead. Most were kids,\u201d Warren wrote. \u201cHegseth should be fired.\u201d<\/p>\n Senator Van Hollen similarly called for accountability, arguing that the administration\u2019s explanation was false and demanding answers about the deaths of the schoolchildren.<\/p>\n Even some Republicans have acknowledged the possibility of an American mistake. Senator John Kennedy said in a television interview that the attack appeared to have been an error.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that it was a terrible, terrible mistake,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u00a0Broader questions<\/strong><\/p>\n The strike on Minab\u2019s elementary school has become a focal point for those critics who argue that the war against Iran lacks sufficient oversight and legal authorization.<\/p>\n They have cited that under the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the authority to declare war. Critics say the current conflict began without a formal congressional mandate, which raises legal questions about the scope of the president\u2019s powers.<\/p>\n In addition, a number of human rights organizations have called for an independent investigation into the strike, with some arguing that the bombing could constitute a war crime if the school was knowingly or negligently targeted.<\/p>\n Up to the moment, the Pentagon has not yet released the full findings of its investigation over the airstrike. If the Pentagon investigation confirms that U.S. forces were responsible, the incident would represent one of the deadliest cases of civilian casualties involving American forces in decades.<\/p>\n For many observers, the controversy surrounding the Minab strike goes beyond questions of military error. What began as a devastating military strike has now evolved into a test of credibility for the American government and the West in general–one that lawmakers, investigators and human rights advocates say would ultimately be resolved through compelling evidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n AM<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n