In a development that casts a long shadow over a major military offensive, a preliminary Pentagon investigation has determined the United States is responsible for a catastrophic missile strike on an Iranian elementary school. The February 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh school in Minab, which killed at least 175 people—most of them children—is now attributed to a critical targeting error using outdated intelligence. This finding stands in stark contrast to public claims by President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly and without evidence blamed Iran for the attack, complicating the military's internal inquiry and igniting a fierce political backlash.

The Faulty Intelligence Behind a Deadly Strike

According to officials briefed on the ongoing investigation, the fatal error originated with targeting coordinates provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The data incorrectly identified the school building as a legitimate military target, failing to reflect that the structure had been converted years earlier. Satellite imagery shows that between 2013 and 2016, the building was fenced off from the adjacent Iranian naval base it once belonged to, with watchtowers removed, playgrounds painted, and walls colored in bright blues and pinks. Officers at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which is overseeing the war effort, used this obsolete data to program a Tomahawk cruise missile strike without verifying the updated information through current imagery or other intelligence means.

The investigation is now focused on why standard verification protocols broke down. In the fast-paced opening hours of "Operation Epic Fury," the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign that began on February 28, the meticulous process of target validation appears to have been short-circuited. While artificial intelligence tools assist modern targeting, officials familiar with the probe believe this was a tragic human and systemic failure, not a technological glitch. The incident evokes the 1999 U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, another catastrophic error stemming from outdated maps and faulty intelligence tradecraft.

A President's Contradictions Complicate the Inquiry

While Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has consistently declined to comment, citing the active investigation, President Trump has offered a contradictory narrative. Standing alongside Hegseth on Air Force One, Trump asserted, "They're very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions… It was done by Iran." He later suggested Iran might possess Tomahawk missiles, a claim without foundation as the U.S. is the only force in the conflict known to use the weapon. When pressed on why he was the only administration official pointing the finger at Tehran, Trump replied, "Because I just don't know enough about it."

This public divergence from the military's own preliminary findings has introduced political friction into the investigative process. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has stated the president will accept the Pentagon's final conclusions, but the repeated denials have fueled accusations that the administration is attempting to evade accountability for one of the deadliest single errors by the U.S. military in decades.