An ongoing investigation into the Feb. 28 attack on an Iranian elementary school has found that all signs point to the United States military being accidentally responsible.
According to the New York Times, sources briefed on the preliminary findings of the investigation said that the Defense Intelligence Agency provided U.S. Central Command with outdated information. That aligns with previous media reports, which stated that CENTCOM may have believed that the school was still part of a nearby Iranian military base.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he was unaware of what the investigation had found. Trump and members of his administration, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, have reportedly insisted that Iran is responsible.
The incident took place on Feb. 28 in the early hours of the United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran. The attack resulted in at least 182 deaths, with children making up at least 168 of the casualties. Videos circulating on social media have shown Iranian citizens reacting in horror and crying upon seeing the damage on the day of the strike.
NEW: The United States is responsible for the strike on an Iranian elementary school, an ongoing military investigation has found, according to the New York Times.
Iranian officials say 175 people were killed, most of them being children.
“Officers at U.S. Central Command… pic.twitter.com/7PYJf62FDV
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 11, 2026
“The incident is under investigation; we defer to the Pentagon for further comment,” a Defense Intelligence Agency spokesperson told CNN.
Trump and his administration have also said that Iran is responsible for civilian casualties. The New York Times previously reported that over 1,800 people have died in Iran and elsewhere, including seven U.S. military members, since the strikes began on Feb. 28.
Many senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died during the initial strikes. At least another 140 U.S. military members are believed to have been injured.
“This is a blatant and intentional tactic: using innocent Iranian civilians as human shields,” Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell wrote last weekend. “We’ve seen this cowardly strategy before — it’s no accident.”
GOP Senator John Kennedy on why he felt it was important to apologize and acknowledge the truth about the bombing of a school in Minab, Iran, which multiple reports indicate was caused by a U.S. military targeting error.
“Because I think it’s the truth…we’re investigating, but… pic.twitter.com/8zinLyncA8
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 10, 2026
Trump had not commented on the CNN report as of publication. He is currently in Hebron, Ky., after leaving Washington, D.C., on Wednesday afternoon.
There is no indication that the U.S. and Israel plan to stop the military strikes within the coming days. Trump threatened Iran when he met with reporters on Wednesday, claiming Iran’s navy and air force have suffered significant damage. He added that Iran now lacks anti-aircraft systems or radar, suggesting these losses would prevent Iran from defending itself against more strikes.
“We could take them out by this afternoon, in fact,” Trump said. “Within an hour, they literally would never be able to build that country back.”
Iran had not responded to Trump as of Wednesday evening. It is unclear whether the U.S., Israel, and Iran are moving any closer to a ceasefire, though Trump’s comments earlier Wednesday create the impression that such an outcome is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
