US military officials have declined to confirm a statement made by President Donald Trump blaming Iran for a deadly strike on a girls school in southern Iran, saying the incident remains under investigation.
The attack occurred in the town of Minab and has become the single deadliest civilian event since the beginning of the current conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel. Iranian authorities report that around 175 people were killed, including a large number of children.
Speaking to reporters during a flight aboard Air Force One, Trump said he believed Iran was responsible for the strike. According to the president, the attack was likely caused by Iranian weapons rather than American or allied military action.
However, defense officials have not endorsed that conclusion. When asked about the incident, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said investigators were still examining the circumstances surrounding the strike.
US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, also declined to comment on the cause of the attack. Military officials said it would be inappropriate to speculate while the investigation is ongoing.
The strike took place near a naval facility previously used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The school had once been connected to the base but had been separated from the military complex years earlier.
Analysts reviewing video footage and satellite imagery of the incident say the damage appears consistent with highly precise munitions typically used in modern air campaigns. Some specialists believe the strike may have resulted from incorrect targeting information, where a civilian structure was mistakenly identified as a military objective.
Investigators examining the site have also pointed to evidence suggesting the buildings were hit by weapons approaching from high altitude, consistent with long range missile or air delivered strikes.
A short video released online appears to show a cruise missile hitting another building within the same compound shortly after smoke was seen rising from the school itself. Analysts have said the missile shown in the footage resembles weapons commonly deployed by US forces.
The timeline of the attack has also raised questions among observers. Reports of the explosion at the school surfaced shortly after the beginning of coordinated strikes against Iranian military infrastructure. At that point, Iran had not yet launched retaliatory attacks.
Human rights organizations estimate that more than 1,200 Iranian civilians have died since the start of the conflict. The war has involved extensive air and missile strikes against military targets across the country.
Independent monitoring groups tracking air campaigns say the opening phase of the war has included an unusually high number of strike locations compared with recent conflicts. Researchers warn that heavy bombardment in densely populated areas significantly increases the risk of civilian casualties.
The Pentagon has not released an official civilian death toll from the campaign and continues to review reports of incidents involving noncombatants.
For now, military officials say determining responsibility for the school strike will depend on the outcome of the ongoing investigation. Until that review is complete, US authorities have avoided making definitive statements about what caused the deadly explosion.
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