The Pentagon has escalated its investigation into the devastating strike on a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran that killed scores of children, as mounting evidence points to potential U.S. responsibility in the incident that has become one of the deadliest civilian casualties of the ongoing conflict. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that a 15‑6 administrative probe — led by a senior general outside U.S. Central Command — will now take over the case to ensure an impartial and thorough review of the circumstances surrounding the Feb. 28 attack. This comes after preliminary military findings and independent analyses suggested that a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile may have struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school, despite its long‑standing civilian use and clear identification on satellite imagery. Iranian authorities have condemned the strike as a “war crime,” asserting that nearly 170 children were killed and dozens more wounded, while Tehran has pressed for accountability under international law. President Donald Trump, who initially blamed Iran for the blast, has said he will accept the outcome of the investigation, even as U.S. military officials emphasize that civilian sites are never intentional targets. The probe’s findings are expected to shape both diplomatic fallout and public scrutiny as global calls for transparency and humanitarian safeguards grow louder in the midst of the wider U.S.–Iran war.
