Trump Blames Iran For Minab School Strike as U.S. Probe Continues
Trump and U.S. officials offer competing statements as investigators probe the Feb. 28 strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school that killed roughly 165 to 182 people.
MEDIAiteTrump’s UN Ambassador Punts When Pressed On President’s Claim US Didn’t Strike Girls School in Iran: ‘I’ll Leave That to the Investigators’
New York PostTrump blames Iran for deadly attack on girls’ school: ‘They have no accuracy’
Daily BeastTrump Steamrolls Pentagon Pete With Wild War Claim
USA TODAYTrump says Iran bombed girls' school. 'They have no accuracy whatsoever'
Overview
President Donald Trump said on March 7 he believes the Feb. 28 strike on a girls' school in Minab was "done by Iran."
Iranian officials say the Feb. 28 strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school in Minab and killed roughly 165 to 182 people, the majority children aged between 7 and 12, according to Iranian reports.
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz declined to back the president's attribution on a Sunday program and said he would "leave that to the investigators," according to his comments.
Two anonymous U.S. officials have reportedly said preliminary assessments indicate U.S. forces may have been responsible for the strike.
Pentagon officials and U.S. Central Command spokespeople said investigations into reports of civilian harm are ongoing and that there are no conclusions at this time.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover the story neutrally, emphasizing verification and competing claims. They label unsubstantiated statements (e.g., "without citing evidence"), present rival attributions (Trump, Iranian state media, Israeli and U.S. investigators), include official denials and an ongoing investigation, and add geolocation evidence—collectively underscoring uncertainty rather than advancing a single partisan narrative.
FAQ
Multiple investigations and analyses indicate U.S. responsibility. U.S. military investigators believe U.S. forces carried out the strike, and independent analyses by CNN, the New York Times, and NPR examined imagery, timing, and location to reach similar conclusions. The strike occurred simultaneously with precision strikes on adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps buildings, and reports suggest a 'double-tap' pattern where the school was struck a second time to target rescue workers, consistent with U.S. military tactics.[1]
Iranian health officials and state media reported that 175 people were killed in the February 28 strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school. The vast majority were children aged between 7 and 12, with at least one victim being a 2-month-old baby, according to UN officials.[1]
UN human rights experts characterized the strike as potentially constituting a war crime. They stated that an attack on a functioning school during class hours raises the most serious concerns under international law and must be urgently, independently, and effectively investigated with accountability for any violations.[1]
President Trump claimed the strike was 'done by Iran,' but U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz declined to support this attribution, stating he would 'leave that to the investigators.' Pentagon officials and U.S. Central Command indicated that investigations into civilian harm reports are ongoing with no conclusions at this time.[1]
The school had been clearly cordoned off as a civilian site for at least a decade. The fact that it was struck during precision operations against adjacent military targets, combined with reports of intentional targeting and a secondary 'double-tap' strike, suggests deliberate rather than accidental targeting.[1]
