Accountability

Trump Casts Doubt on U.S. Role in Iran Girls' School Strike That Killed 175 Children


U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday it may never be known who was responsible for the February 28 strike on a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, that killed more than 175 children and teachers, despite an internal military investigation pointing to likely American culpability. Trump told reporters he had seen no evidence to suggest a U.S. missile caused the disaster, dismissing the reported preliminary findings without offering an alternative explanation.

“I don’t know that they are ever going to solve that problem in terms of whose fault was it,” Trump said, describing a chaotic scene with “missiles flying all over the place.” He added, “Somebody said it was our missile, maybe it wasn’t our missile but I have seen nothing to lead me to believe it was.”

Reuters first reported in March that an initial U.S. military probe concluded U.S. forces were probably at fault after using outdated targeting data during the opening day of the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran. The Pentagon has since escalated the inquiry but has not publicly confirmed any preliminary results. U.S. officials have maintained that Washington would never deliberately strike a school, an act that would likely constitute a war crime under international humanitarian law.

The attack on the Minab school triggered global condemnation, with the United Nations human rights office calling it “absolutely horrific.” Trump initially blamed Iran for the deaths without providing evidence, before later stating he would accept the findings of the ongoing investigation and insisting the school was not intentionally targeted.