A recent airstrike that struck an all-girls’ elementary school in southern Iran may have been carried out by the United States, according to a report published Thursday night by Reuters citing two U.S. officials familiar with the situation.
According to the report, U.S. military investigators currently believe the strike was likely conducted by American forces, though the assessment remains tentative as the investigation continues.
The incident occurred as the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran on Saturday. President Donald Trump has said the military operation could last at least a month and has declined to rule out the possibility of deploying American troops into Iran as the conflict continues to unfold.
The strikes over the weekend targeted Iranian leadership and infrastructure. Among those killed during the initial attacks was Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with dozens of other top Iranian officials.
The strike on the school took place in the southern Iranian city of Minab. According to the Iranian government, at least 175 people were killed in the bombing, most of them young girls attending the elementary school.
Reuters reported that investigators are still working to determine what exactly occurred during the strike and what led to the tentative assessment that U.S. forces may have been responsible.
“Reuters was unable to determine more details about the investigation, including what evidence contributed to the tentative assessment, what type of munition was used, who was responsible or why the U.S. might have struck the school,” the outlet reported.
The report indicates that key questions remain unanswered as investigators attempt to piece together the circumstances surrounding the strike.
The Trump administration has faced questions about the incident as the investigation continues.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the issue earlier this week, saying that the situation is currently under review.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also confirmed that the strike is being investigated, signaling that the Pentagon is examining the details of the incident as part of the broader military assessment.
Reuters reported that it was unable to determine how long the investigation is expected to take or when officials might reach a final conclusion about what occurred.
The ongoing military campaign against Iran has been described by the Trump administration as a necessary effort to neutralize the country’s nuclear ambitions.
Trump has repeatedly stated that the strikes are aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear program. Last year, he said the program had been “totally obliterated” during a previous U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign carried out the previous summer.
The latest round of strikes represents a renewed escalation in the conflict between Iran and the United States and its allies.
According to a human rights watchdog cited in the report, more than 1,000 civilians have been killed since the bombing campaign began on Saturday.
The fighting has also resulted in American casualties. In a retaliatory attack by Iran, six U.S. service members were killed in Kuwait after an Iranian drone strike.
As the military operation continues, investigators are working to determine the details surrounding the strike in Minab and whether U.S. forces were involved, while the broader conflict between Iran and the United States shows little sign of easing in the near term.
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