Fox News host Laura Ingraham sharply criticized the Trump administration Friday after a report suggested that U.S. forces may have been responsible for a strike that hit a girls’ elementary school in Iran during the early stages of the ongoing conflict.
The criticism came after The Wall Street Journal reported that American military investigators believe U.S. forces were “likely responsible” for the February 28 strike, which reportedly killed dozens of children.
According to the report, a U.S. official said investigators believe American forces may have carried out the strike but emphasized that the inquiry has not yet reached a final conclusion.
“U.S. military investigators think American forces likely were responsible for a strike that killed dozens of children at a girls elementary school in Iran, a U.S. official said,” the Journal reported Friday. “The investigation hasn’t reached a final conclusion, the official said.”
The strike reportedly hit the Shajarah Tayyebeh Girls’ School in the town of Minab, located near the Strait of Hormuz. The incident occurred on the first day of the joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign launched against Iran.
The Journal described the attack as what could be the deadliest single strike since the conflict began.
Iranian officials have claimed that more than 160 people were killed in the strike, including many children. However, that figure has not been independently verified.
Reacting to the report on Friday, Ingraham said the allegations were deeply troubling and argued that the military would need to provide a full explanation if the claims prove accurate.
“If true, this is horrific news — and the U.S. military will have to address this publicly,” Ingraham wrote.
She also noted that the school’s location near a military site may have been a factor in the incident.
“Proximity of military compound obviously a factor, but our weapons also have pinpoint accuracy,” she added.
Reuters reported earlier this week that U.S. officials were already examining the possibility that American forces were responsible for the strike.
In a report published Thursday night, Reuters cited two U.S. officials who said the military was leaning toward the conclusion that U.S. weapons were involved.
However, the news outlet said many key details remain unclear.
Reuters reported it was unable to determine what evidence led investigators to that preliminary conclusion, what type of weapon may have been used, or who was responsible for the decision that led to the strike.
The report also said it remains unclear why the school may have been targeted or how the incident occurred.
The alleged strike has already drawn questions from journalists covering the administration’s handling of the war.
During a recent exchange with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, BBC correspondent Tom Bateman pressed for answers about what the administration currently knows about the incident.
“Can you give us an update on what the administration knows, what you know now about the reported strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran on Saturday?” Bateman asked.
Hegseth responded that the matter remains under investigation.
“All I know, all I can say is that we’re investigating that,” he said. “We of course never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.”
Bateman followed up by asking whether U.S. intelligence capabilities had already provided clarity about what happened.
“So is there any clarity on whose munition this was?” he asked.
Hegseth reiterated that the investigation is ongoing.
“We’re investigating it,” the defense secretary said.
For now, officials have not reached a final determination about the strike as the review continues.
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