New York Times: Investigation likely to lead US strike behind School bombing in Iran

The bombing of a school in the Iranian city of Minab on Saturday, on the first day of US-Israeli strikes on the country, may have been caused by a US strike targeting a nearby Revolutionary Guard naval base, a New York Times investigation concluded.

Neither the United States nor Israel has confirmed the strike, while US Defense Secretary Pete Higgseth said Wednesday that the Pentagon was investigating the incident, stressing that US forces never target civilians.

Based on satellite imagery, social media posts and verified videos, the New York Times reported Thursday that the school was heavily damaged by a strike that coincided with attacks on a nearby Revolutionary Guard naval base.

The New York Times said that US forces had targeted naval targets near the Strait of Hormuz, where the Iranian base is located, indicate that they were most likely behind the strike.

Reuters reported Thursday, citing unnamed US officials, that US military investigators believe US forces are likely responsible for the strike on the school, while confirming that the investigation hasn’t yet been completed.

The death toll hasn’t yet been independently confirmed, but Iranian authorities and state media say the strike killed more than 150 people, including a large number of children, at the Good Tree Primary School.

The New York Times investigation ruled out the hypothesis that the school was hit by an Iranian missile.

If its confirmed that it was a US bomb that hit the Good Tree School, the question will likely be asked whether the bombing was a mistake or was carried out based on outdated information.

An investigation by the French newspaper Le Monde published on Thursday concluded that children and civilian victims were among those killed in the shelling.

“Young children have already been killed,” Le Monde wrote, noting that it based its investigation on dozens of photos and videos.