US Investigation Points to American Strike on an Iranian School That Killed Over 150 Innocent Children

An internal US military investigation has concluded that American forces likely struck a girls' elementary school in southern Iran, killing up to 168 children and their teachers, marking the deadliest single act of civilian harm in Operation Epic Fury to date.

The White House has not ruled out that US military personnel carried out the strike that, according to Iranian state media, killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers. The school, named Shajareh Tayyebeh, Arabic for 'The Good Tree,' was filled with girls aged between seven and twelve when the bombs fell on the morning of Feb. 28, 2026, the first day of the joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran.

Investigators' Findings and Pentagon Response

The formal acknowledgement of a likely American role came from Reuters, which reported on March 6 that two US officials familiar with the inquiry believed American forces were responsible. CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Timothy Hawkins confirmed to reporters that 'it would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation.' That stance has been maintained across the Pentagon's senior leadership.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and US Central Command declined to provide specifics on the probe, saying the investigation is ongoing. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt referred questions about the strike to the Pentagon.

At a press conference on Wednesday March 4, Hegseth said: 'All I know, all I can say, is that we're investigating that. We, of course, never target civilian targets.' The IDF took a similar posture. An IDF spokesman said at a briefing on Friday that he was 'not aware of any IDF activity in the area.' Both governments stressed they do not deliberately target civilians, though neither produced evidence to challenge the findings of the independent investigations that had emerged.

The CENTCOM press release confirming the launch of Operation Epic Fury, published on Feb. 28, states that US and partner forces began striking targets at 1:15 ET to 'dismantle the Iranian regime's security apparatus,' with targets including IRGC 'command and control facilities, Iranian air defence capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.' The Sayyid al-Shuhada IRGC naval base in Minab, located less than 60 metres from the school, falls squarely within that target category.

Satellite Imagery, Munitions Analysis and Geography

Independent investigators reached conclusions that align with the findings Reuters attributed to US military sources. A CBC News visual investigation of new satellite imagery and social media footage suggests the bombing was the result of a precision airstrike on a military complex immediately adjacent to the school.

CBC's visual investigations team reviewed and verified multiple videos from the scene showing several distinct smoke plumes, suggesting the area was struck more than once. Satellite imagery released by Planet Labs confirmed the findings, revealing multiple impact craters within the complex.

Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at Middlebury College who specialises in satellite imagery, said the imagery was consistent with a precision airstrike. 'Almost all the buildings in the compound are hit,' Lewis told NPR, adding that the images showed 'very precise targeting.' Given Minab's location in southeastern Iran, Lewis said, 'a strike is much more likely to be a US strike than an Israeli strike because of the type of munitions and the geographic location.'

An Al Jazeera investigation raised further questions about the pattern of the strike. Missiles hit the military base and the school but bypassed the specialised clinic complex located between the two, a precision that the investigation argued strongly indicates the executing party was operating with coordinates that distinguished between the compound's different facilities. An analysis by ABC News confirmed that a wall had been constructed sometime between 2013 and 2016, effectively separating the school from the cluster of IRGC buildings it once belonged to.

The Dead, the Funerals and the International Response

Iranian health officials and state media say as many as 175 people were killed, most of them schoolgirls between the ages of seven and twelve. The Iran Mission to the United Nations placed the toll at more than 150 children. Norwegian-based rights organisation Hengaw said that at the time of the incident, the Shajareh Tayyebeh school was holding its morning session and reportedly had about 170 students present.

According to Iranian state media, Iran held funerals on Tuesday March 3 for at least 165 people, including students killed in the alleged strike. Iranian state television showed a large crowd of mourners in Minab weeping over what appeared to be bodies wrapped in white shrouds. Other images showed individuals preparing coffins draped in the Iranian flag — some bearing photographs of children.

The international condemnation was swift and broad. Volker Türk, the United Nations human rights chief, said the UN has 'significant concerns' about whether the strikes complied with international humanitarian law. UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told CNN the strike 'must not become just another horrific incident that leaves the headlines and is no longer a priority.' UNESCO condemned the attack as a 'grave violation of humanitarian law.' Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said the news left her 'heartbroken and appalled.'