U.S. Investigates Tragic Missile Strike on Iranian School
A devastating missile strike on a girls’ school in Iran has prompted the United States to launch a formal investigation. The attack, which resulted in the deaths of at least 165 civilians, many of whom were children, has raised serious concerns after initial assessments pointed to U.S. involvement. An official from the U.S., speaking anonymously, revealed that the inquiry will span several months and involve extensive interviews with all parties connected to the incident, including military planners and personnel.
This picture obtained from Iran’s ISNA news agency shows the site of a strike on a girls’ school in Minab, in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, on February 28, 2026. Ali Najafii/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images
If confirmed, this would be among the most severe instances of civilian casualties involving the U.S. military in recent history. Although a special Pentagon office was established to mitigate civilian casualties, it faced significant cutbacks under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who took office last year, as documented here.
“This investigation is ongoing. As we have said, unlike the terrorist Iranian regime, the United States does not target civilians,” stated White House spokesperson Anna Kelly. The Pentagon has yet to comment on the situation.
In a past press conference, Secretary Hegseth criticized what he described as “stupid rules of engagement,” claiming these hindered military success. This remark, along with others, can be reviewed here.
NPR first reported that the destruction of the school might be linked to an operation using precision weapons. This was supported by video evidence released by Iranian media, suggesting the involvement of Tomahawk missiles in the attack. See more details and images here. Additionally, images of missile components were shared by Iranian media, which can be viewed here.
Previous reports indicated that the school was previously part of a naval base belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and might have been mistakenly identified as a military target on outdated U.S. lists. The base underwent significant changes between 2013 and 2016, and a public health clinic, also struck, was separated and operational by 2025.
President Trump, during a recent press conference, suggested alternative theories regarding the missile’s origin, claiming that the U.S.-made Tomahawks are “very generic” and could potentially be used by other countries. However, experts have noted that only a few nations operate these missiles, with the U.S. being the primary user in the current conflict.
“Tomahawks are only used and operated by a very small number of nations,” explained N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services. “The most likely scenario at this point is that somewhere along the way in the targeting process, there was an intelligence failure,” he added.
Efforts to reduce civilian casualties were bolstered by a 2019 law, leading to the creation of the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response initiative during the Biden administration. This initiative, however, was significantly reduced by Hegseth, affecting the effectiveness of civilian casualty mitigation operations.
“At every level, civilian protection has been deprioritized,” commented Oona Hathaway, a professor of International Law at Yale, emphasizing the importance of adhering to legal standards that protect civilians in conflict zones.
An unnamed U.S. official mentioned that due to budget cuts, military commands are now financially responsible for their own civilian casualty mitigation analysts, highlighting the challenges faced by the U.S. Central Command in the Middle East.
NPR’s RAD team contributed to this report.
