New evidence suggests that the deadly strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran may have been caused by a US missile, according to a new investigation by the Netherlands-based outlet Bellingcat, according to The Express Tribune.
Bellingcat’s report, released Sunday and cited by TRT, analyzed newly surfaced video footage that appears to show a US-made Tomahawk missile hitting an IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) facility in the coastal city of Minab on February 28. The footage, first aired by Iran’s Mehr News Agency, was geolocated by investigators, who confirmed the missile impact near the school.
The video also captured smoke rising from the nearby girls’ school, where more than 170 people were believed to have been killed. Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, later said at least 150 students died in the explosion.
Bellingcat’s findings point to the United States as the likely source of the missile, noting that Israel does not possess Tomahawk systems, making Washington the only possible user in the ongoing conflict.
If verified, the strike could mark one of the deadliest incidents of civilian casualties involving US forces in the Middle East in recent decades. Under international humanitarian law, deliberately targeting a school or any civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime.
The revelations contradict former President Donald Trump’s weekend statement blaming Iran for the attack. “It was done by Iran,” Trump told reporters. “They are very inaccurate with their munitions.”
However, multiple Western outlets have echoed Bellingcat’s assessment. The Wall Street Journal quoted a US official saying that early investigations pointed toward US responsibility, though a final conclusion had not been reached. The official claimed intelligence suggested the building housed IRGC headquarters staff.
Meanwhile, The New York Times and BBC Verify both found that the school and a nearby naval base were struck nearly simultaneously, indicating a possible target mix-up rather than deliberate intent. US officials told Reuters that investigators were probing all possibilities but admitted evidence so far “likely implicates US forces.”
