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A U.S. military strike is believed to have mistakenly hit an elementary school in Minab, Iran, due to outdated intelligence. The incident, which occurred on February 28, resulted in the deaths of at least 168 children and 14 teachers. According to a preliminary investigation by the Pentagon, the U.S. military relied on old data that misidentified the school as part of an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base.
The outdated information was provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency to U.S. Central Command officers, leading to the tragic error. The New York Times confirmed that the school had been converted from a military base several years ago.
The strike has sparked widespread concern and criticism, with CNN reporting that satellite imagery and geolocated videos show simultaneous strikes on both the IRGC facility and the school. Munitions experts believe the strike was intended for the military base, but the failure to update targeting information led to the school being hit.
President Donald Trump has been questioned about the incident but has deflected responsibility, initially suggesting that Iran might have been responsible. However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump would accept the investigation's findings.