WASHINGTON — A U.S. missile strike on an Iranian school that killed at least 175 people, mostly children, was the result of a targeting error involving outdated intelligence data, Pentagon officials have privately concluded more than three months after the incident. The attack occurred on February 28 in the town of Minab and was initially believed by U.S. military commanders to have struck a legitimate Iranian military base.
The school, Shajarah Tayebeyeh elementary, is located adjacent to a complex used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy. For several years, U.S. officials operated under the assumption that the site was a military installation, as imagery indicating the presence of a school had not been updated for nearly seven years. A preliminary military investigation found that targeting personnel relied on this outdated data, which failed to identify the facility as a school. Although one intelligence analyst had flagged the presence of the school years earlier, this information did not reach the teams responsible for strike decisions and was not incorporated into ongoing target validations.
The strike took place on a Saturday, the beginning of the Iranian workweek, when children and teachers were present. Iranian officials report that at least 175 civilians, mainly children, were killed. The incident represents the deadliest civilian casualty event caused by U.S. forces since the 1991 bombing of a Baghdad air-raid shelter.
Despite the severity of the event and the findings of the internal probe, U.S. officials have not publicly acknowledged responsibility for the civilian deaths. The investigative report has been completed and is awaiting approval from senior Defense Department leaders, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as review by the White House. Military sources cited bureaucratic delays, internal disbelief about the extent of the intelligence failure, and a Pentagon leadership culture prioritizing operational lethality over civilian harm mitigation as contributing factors to the delay in public disclosure.
Under Secretary Hegseth’s tenure, policies have shifted toward reducing constraints related to civilian casualties, with moves to close offices dedicated to civilian harm mitigation and response. An inspector general report released last month highlighted that the military currently lacks sufficient personnel and resources to fully meet its federally mandated obligations regarding civilian casualty investigations and prevention.
Experts and former Pentagon advisers have expressed strong criticism of the handling of the incident. Wes J. Bryant, formerly a senior policy analyst focused on precision warfare and civilian harm mitigation, called for accountability and disciplinary action, including under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, citing negligence and lapses in command oversight. Others note this event echoes past instances, such as a drone strike in Afghanistan in 2021 that initially was deemed justified but later acknowledged as a mistaken killing of civilians.
The Pentagon has maintained that the case remains under investigation and has not provided a timeline for when the report may be released publicly or whether any personnel will be held responsible.