A devastating missile strike on a girls’ primary school in southern Iran has ignited intense international scrutiny, as emerging evidence suggests a United States-made weapon was involved . The attack, which occurred on February 28 during the opening day of the current conflict, killed between 165 and 180 people, the vast majority of whom were young students . While independent investigators point to a US Tomahawk cruise missile, President Donald Trump has publicly attributed the strike to Iran, prompting pushback from weapons experts and a defense from the White House .
The strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, located just meters away from an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval compound . As footage of the destruction and massive funeral processions circulates globally, the incident has come to symbolize the severe civilian toll of the ongoing hostilities .
Conflicting Claims Over Responsibility
Following the attack, Iranian authorities swiftly condemned the strike as a war crime . Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi placed the blame squarely on the United States and Israel . In response, the Israeli military firmly denied any involvement, with spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani stating that multiple checks found no connection to their operations .
President Trump has consistently deflected responsibility away from the US military . Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed the strike was likely conducted by Iranian forces, characterizing their munitions as highly inaccurate . He further suggested that the Tomahawk is a generic weapon and alleged that Iran possesses them . Trump later added that he would be willing to accept whatever conclusions an official investigation reaches .
The White House has moved to clarify the president’s remarks . Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump has a right to share his opinions with the public and reiterated his commitment to accepting the results of ongoing investigations . Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the American military does not deliberately target schools, noting that their objectives are strictly tied to missile manufacturing and launch capabilities .
Evidence Points to a Tomahawk Missile
Despite Trump’s assertions, a growing body of evidence contradicts the claim that Iran fired the missile . Open-source investigators, including Bellingcat, alongside major media outlets like The New York Times and the BBC, have analyzed geolocated footage and satellite imagery from the site . The verified videos show a precision strike consistent with a Tomahawk cruise missile hitting the adjacent naval facility, with smoke already rising from the school building, indicating at least one earlier explosion . Additionally, Iranian state media broadcasted images of what experts identified as fragments of a US-made Tomahawk missile retrieved from the rubble . The New York Times noted that the collected evidence strongly points to a severe precision strike on the school itself .
The Tomahawk is a highly advanced, precision-guided cruise missile manufactured by US defense contractor Raytheon . Capable of traveling over 1,600 kilometers at low altitudes to avoid detection, the weapon is heavily restricted and utilized for deep-strike land operations . While the United States is the primary operator, deploying them from ships and submarines, a select group of allied nations, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and the Netherlands, also maintain stockpiles .
Contrary to Trump’s claims, defense analysts and weapons experts confirm there is no public evidence that Iran possesses Tomahawk missiles . Analysts emphasize that Iran lacks the technology to deploy them, relying instead on domestically produced and Russian-made weapons . Furthermore, the United States Central Command released video footage showing US Navy Tomahawk missile launches on February 28, the exact day of the Minab strike . Senior US military officers also confirmed that the opening phase of the war included Navy launches targeting locations across Iran’s southern regions .
International Outrage and Calls for Investigation
The staggering loss of civilian life has drawn widespread global condemnation . State television in Iran broadcasted mourning ceremonies on March 3, showing rows of small coffins draped in the national flag . The tragedy has amplified pressure on all parties involved in the conflict .
Humanitarian organizations, including UNESCO and United Nations human rights experts, are demanding transparent, independent investigations into potential violations of international law . Lawmakers and rights groups are pushing for accountability regarding the protection of civilians in active conflict zones . As the Pentagon conducts its own internal review of the incident, the controversy over the Minab school strike continues to fuel intense debate over the conduct and devastating human cost of the military campaign .
