A United States missile strike that hit an elementary school in Iran’s Minab and killed more than 175 people, most of them children, was caused by a targeting error, according to a report by The New York Times.
The report said an ongoing military investigation found that a Tomahawk missile launched on February 28 mistakenly struck the Shajarah Tayyebeh Elementary School building.
The strike occurred amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran. Investigators said the missile was fired due to incorrect target coordinates generated by the US military.
Outdated Intelligence Data Behind Strike
According to US officials cited in the report, the faulty coordinates were created using outdated intelligence data by United States Central Command.
The data had been provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency. Authorities are also reviewing the role of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which analyses satellite imagery used to identify potential targets.
Officials said investigators are trying to determine why the information was not verified before the strike was carried out.
School Located Near IRGC Naval Facility
The school building is located in the same block as a naval facility linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
According to the report, the structure was originally part of the military base and was not initially used as a school. Between 2013 and 2016, however, the compound was separated and converted into an educational facility.
Because of its close proximity to the military installation, considered a high-priority US target, investigators believe outdated location data may have led to the fatal mistake.
Probe Examines Role of Technology and Human Error
Authorities have also examined whether artificial intelligence systems, data-processing programmes or technical intelligence contributed to the targeting error.
However, officials involved in the investigation said the mistake appears most likely to have been caused by human error.
Trump Blames Iran for the Strike
Despite the findings cited in the report, US President Donald Trump has blamed Iran for the incident.
“We think it was done by Iran because they’re very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever,” Trump told reporters on Saturday.
Meanwhile, footage released by Mehr News Agency on Sunday reportedly shows the missile striking a building within a compound associated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the strike is still ongoing.
