Trump, Hegseth, and the Minab School Strike Investigation

As the United States-Israeli war on Iran approaches its two-week mark, a specific attack has emerged as the bloodiest incident of the conflict so far. On February 28, during the opening hours of the assault on Iran, a missile struck a girls’ school in southern Iran, killing more than 170 people – most of them schoolgirls. Since then, Israel and the US have tried to distance themselves from the attack, even as evidence mounts that the US was responsible for the killings. To critics, the bombing of the school has become emblematic of the horrors of the war that the US and Israel have unleashed.

The girls’ school, Shajareh Tayyebeh, was located in the city of Minab, near a base belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It was hit by a missile on February 28 at approximately 10:45am local time, a peak hour for classroom activity. The blast destroyed the two-storey building, causing the roof to collapse on students and teachers inside. At least 170 people, most of them children, were killed. Dozens of others were injured. The school is located in Minab, in Iran’s strategic Hormozgan province, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and hosts several IRGC naval facilities. While Iran immediately attributed the strike to the US-Israel coalition, both nations denied responsibility.

Iran blamed both the US and Israel for the strike. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shared a photo of the attack, saying it killed innocent children. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei slammed the blatant crime and urged action from the United Nations Security Council. On Thursday, Baghaei said that US missile attack on Minab school was a double-tap strike. A double tap refers to two strikes on the same target in quick succession. Footage from the scene suggests the school was likely hit by a Tomahawk missile. Analysts say the strike may have been caused by outdated targeting information, as the school is on the same block as buildings used by the IRGC’s navy. It seems that the United States Central Command did not keep its target list up to date.

US President Donald Trump initially suggested that Iran itself may have been responsible for the strike. Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, declined to endorse Trump’s assessment and instead reiterated that the Pentagon was investigating the incident. However, The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the school was hit by a US Tomahawk missile because of a targeting error. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that the US would not intentionally target a school.

Historical precedents exist regarding US military targeting errors. In 1999, during NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the US struck an annex of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade after misidentifying the building as a Yugoslav military facility. The strike killed three Chinese journalists and injured more than 20 people. Washington later said the bombing occurred because intelligence analysts relied on outdated maps. In another instance, two precision-guided bombs penetrated the Amiriyah bunker in Baghdad during Operation Desert Storm, killing more than 400 people. Four-star General Merrill McPeak admitted it never occurred to them that it was a place where civilians went to take shelter.

Nearly all US Senate Democrats have signed a letter to Hegseth calling for a swift investigation. The results of this school attack are horrific. The majority of those killed in the strikes were girls between the ages of 7 and 12 years old. Neither the United States nor the Israeli government has yet taken responsibility for this attack. The letter asked for answers regarding whether US forces conducted the strikes, what steps the military has taken to prevent civilian harm, and what role artificial intelligence tools have played in operations. If the US role is confirmed, it would be embarrassing for the military since they have otherwise conducted a pretty sound operation.

Key Takeaways

• Over 170 people were killed in a missile strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab.
• Iran blames the US-Israel coalition, while Washington and Jerusalem deny involvement.
• Reports suggest a US Tomahawk missile hit the school due to outdated targeting data.
• Senate Democrats are demanding an investigation into civilian harm mitigation and AI usage.

Summary

The bombing of the Minab school has intensified the humanitarian cost of the ongoing conflict, drawing comparisons to historical intelligence failures. As investigations continue, the incident highlights significant concerns regarding military precision and accountability in modern warfare.