Preliminary US investigation finds United States Military responsible for striking Iranian elementary school, killing 175 people & children due to a 'targeting mistake,' NYT reports.

A preliminary U.S. military investigation has found that American forces were likely responsible for a missile strike on an Iranian elementary school in Minab on February 28, 2026, which killed at least 175 people, mostly children. The strike is being described as a “targeting mistake,” though the incident remains under investigation.

 Key Details:

- Location of strike: Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school, Minab, Iran.  

- Date: February 28, 2026.  

- Casualties: At least 175 people killed, most of them schoolgirls.  

- Cause: Preliminary U.S. investigation suggests a Tomahawk missile hit near the school, likely intended for a nearby naval base.  

- Responsibility: U.S. military sources told The New York Times they believe the strike was inadvertent.  

- Political response:  

• President Donald Trump has denied U.S. responsibility, claiming Iran’s own weapons were to blame.  

• Iranian officials accuse both the U.S. and Israel of conducting the strike.

  

- International reaction: UNESCO condemned the attack as a grave violation of humanitarian law.

Targeting mistake is a hell of a way to describe 175 lives. Absolute tragedy.

Unreal. "Preliminary investigation" doesn't bring back those kids.

A "mistake" of this scale is a systemic failure. Heartbreaking.

The NYT report just makes it official, but it doesn't make it any less of a nightmare.

According to NYT reporting and the preliminary US military investigation, the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab was housed in a building that was formerly part of the adjacent IRGC naval base. The Feb. 28 Tomahawk strike was a US targeting mistake using outdated Defense Intelligence Agency data that still listed it as military. Iran reports 175 killed, mostly children. The site was repurposed but remained right next to the active base. 

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