A missile strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh primary school in southern Iran on February 28 killed more than 170 people, including over 100 children-marking the deadliest incident in the ongoing conflict.
Satellite imagery confirms the school was adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) naval base. The U.S. military confirmed it was targeting IRGC command centers along Iran’s Hormozgan coast in Operation Epic Fury to prevent closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Footage analyzed by investigators shows the strike used Tomahawk missiles-exclusively deployed by the U.S. in this conflict. Despite President Donald Trump’s claim that Tomahawks are “generic” and possibly used by Iran, only the U.S., UK, Netherlands, Australia, and Japan operate them-and none but the U.S. are involved in the war.
Iran blamed the U.S. and Israel; Israel denied involvement. Trump falsely claimed Iran likely struck its own school due to “inaccurate munitions.”
However, a preliminary New York Times investigation found the U.S. likely hit the school by mistake, relying on outdated Defense Intelligence Agency data that misidentified the civilian building as a military target. Though the site was part of a military compound in 2013, recent images show it had been fenced off as a separate school.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the military takes civilian protection seriously and is investigating. Democrats and European leaders demand accountability as pressure mounts on the White House.