WASHINGTON: United States military investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible for an apparent strike on a Iranian girls’ school in southern Iran that reportedly killed scores of students, but officials say the investigation is still ongoing and no final conclusion has been reached.
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Two US officials told Reuters that early assessments suggest American forces may have carried out the strike during military operations in Iran over the weekend. However, they stressed that the inquiry remains incomplete and new evidence could still emerge that changes the findings or identifies another party as responsible.
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The school, located in Minab in Iran’s southern region, was hit on Saturday during the first day of coordinated US and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, said the strike killed 150 students, though the death toll has not been independently verified by Reuters.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed earlier this week that the Pentagon had launched an investigation into the incident. Officials have not disclosed details about the type of munition used, the intended target, or the circumstances that may have led to the strike.
The Pentagon referred questions to US Central Command, whose spokesperson Captain Timothy Hawkins declined to comment while the investigation remains underway.
The White House also avoided direct comment on the inquiry. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the United States does not deliberately target civilians and added that the Department of Defense was examining the incident.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly said any confirmed involvement would be subject to a formal military investigation. The United Nations human rights office has called for a thorough probe into the attack. Under international humanitarian law, deliberately targeting schools, hospitals or other civilian facilities could constitute a war crime if proven.