U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday it may never be determined who was responsible for the February 28 strike on a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, that killed more than 175 children and teachers on the first day of the U.S.-Israel war against Tehran. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr. Trump cast doubt on whether accountability would ever be established, despite an internal U.S. military investigation.

Reuters reported in March that a preliminary Pentagon probe had concluded American forces were likely behind the deadly attack, pointing to the possible use of outdated targeting data. The investigation has since been elevated but no findings have been publicly acknowledged. Asked about that evidence, Mr. Trump said, “I have seen nothing to lead me to believe it was us,” adding, “I don’t think it was us.”

The president’s remarks come as global outrage over the incident continues. The strike, which would constitute a war crime if deliberate, drew immediate condemnation from the United Nations human rights office, which described it as “absolutely horrific.” Iranian officials have provided names and ages of the victims, while U.S. officials have insisted Washington would never intentionally target a school. Mr. Trump initially blamed Iran without evidence, then shifted to claiming ignorance about the details.

For the Global South, the episode crystallizes deep anxieties over the protection of civilians in modern conflicts led by powerful states. The apparent inability or unwillingness to definitively assign responsibility raises troubling questions about the credibility of military probes conducted by the same forces implicated in potential atrocities. With the Pentagon investigation unresolved and a president publicly dismissing any indication of U.S. fault, the path to justice for the victims of Minab appears as uncertain as ever.