A U.S. military investigation has tentatively concluded that American forces may have been responsible for a strike on a girls’ school in Minab that killed dozens of students during the opening phase of the war with Iran, according to U.S. officials familiar with the inquiry.
The strike occurred on the first day of coordinated attacks by the United States and Israel targeting Iranian military infrastructure. The conflict has since escalated into a regional confrontation involving missile strikes, naval clashes and disruptions to global energy supply routes.
Iranian officials say the attack killed as many as 150 schoolgirls and staff, though independent confirmation of the death toll remains unavailable. Images broadcast by Iranian state media showed rows of small coffins draped in Iranian flags as mourners gathered for mass funerals.
Investigation Underway
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. military to determine whether American forces were responsible for the strike and, if so, under what circumstances it occurred. Officials caution that the probe has not reached a final conclusion and that new evidence could still shift responsibility elsewhere.
Pete Hegseth confirmed that the incident is under review, stating that the U.S. military does not deliberately target civilian infrastructure. Similarly, Marco Rubio said that if American forces were involved, the Pentagon would investigate the matter.
The Pentagon has declined to comment further while the inquiry is ongoing. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, has also refrained from providing details about the potential munition used, the intended target, or the circumstances surrounding the strike.
Targeting in the Early Phase of the War
During the early stages of the campaign, U.S. and Israeli forces reportedly divided operational responsibilities across Iran. Israeli strikes focused largely on missile launch sites in western Iran, while American forces targeted missile facilities and naval assets in the south.
Minab, located near the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran, falls within the geographic zone where U.S. strikes were reportedly concentrated. If confirmed, the school strike could represent a tragic misidentification or targeting error during the opening phase of the bombardment.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has called for a full investigation into the incident, stressing that the responsibility lies with whichever force carried out the strike.
Legal and Diplomatic Implications
Under international humanitarian law, deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure such as schools or hospitals constitutes a potential war crime. Even if a strike unintentionally hits a civilian site, investigators must determine whether adequate precautions were taken to avoid civilian casualties.
The incident therefore carries significant legal and diplomatic implications. Confirmation that U.S. forces were responsible would likely intensify criticism of the military campaign and complicate Washington’s efforts to frame the war as a narrowly focused operation against Iranian military capabilities.
Analysis: A Test of Credibility and War Conduct
If the investigation ultimately confirms U.S. responsibility, the strike would rank among the deadliest civilian incidents associated with American military operations in the Middle East in decades. Such an outcome would raise questions about targeting procedures, intelligence reliability and operational oversight in a rapidly escalating conflict.
Beyond the humanitarian tragedy, the incident could also shape the broader narrative of the war. Tehran is likely to use the event to strengthen domestic mobilization and international condemnation of the U.S.-Israeli campaign.
For Washington, the challenge lies in balancing operational urgency with adherence to international humanitarian standards. Civilian casualties particularly involving children can have strategic consequences that extend far beyond the battlefield, affecting global perceptions of legitimacy and potentially eroding diplomatic support among allies.
As the investigation continues, its findings may not only determine responsibility for a single strike but also influence how the wider war is judged in legal, political and moral terms.
With information from Reuters.
