- Deadly strike on Minab girls’ school killed over 175 children.
- President Trump questioned responsibility, doubting US involvement in attack.
- Internal US assessment suggested American forces likely caused school strike.
- Investigation continues amid war crime concerns; cause remains unclear.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said it may never be possible to conclusively determine who was responsible for a deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran’s southern city of Minab, an attack that killed scores of children on the opening day of the conflict on February 28.
More than 175 children and students were killed when coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel targeted Iran, according to reports. The school in Minab was among the sites hit during the first day of military operations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump suggested the chaotic circumstances surrounding the conflict could make it difficult to establish responsibility for the strike.
Trump Questions Claims of US Involvement
“I don’t know that they are ever going to solve that problem,” Trump said, according to Reuters, referring to efforts to determine who carried out the attack.
He noted that missiles were being fired across the region at the time and indicated there was uncertainty surrounding the source of the strike. “It’s horrible what happened but there were missiles flying all over the place. Somebody said it was our missile, maybe it wasn’t our missile but I have seen nothing to lead me to believe it was,” he said.
Trump also appeared to dismiss allegations that the United States was directly responsible for the fatal strike, stating, “I don’t think it was us.”
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Internal Probe Reportedly Raises Questions
Despite Trump’s remarks, a Reuters report said an initial internal US military assessment suggested American forces were likely responsible for the strike that hit the school in Minab.
The Pentagon, however, has not publicly confirmed any preliminary findings from the investigation.
According to Reuters, the attack may have resulted from the use of outdated targeting data by US forces. The report cited sources familiar with the matter.
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Investigation Continues Amid War Crime Concerns
Officials in Washington have publicly maintained that US forces would not intentionally target a school, noting that such an action would constitute a war crime under international humanitarian law.
In the immediate aftermath of the strike, Trump suggested Iran may have been responsible. His position later shifted as he acknowledged that the circumstances remained unclear and that an investigation was underway.
The president has said he would accept the findings of the inquiry, while emphasising that “nobody” deliberately targeted the school. As investigations continue, questions remain over how one of the deadliest incidents of the conflict unfolded and whether definitive answers will ever emerge.
