‘Targeting Mistake’: Preliminary Reports Holds US Military Responsible for Iran School Strike That Killed 160+ Girls

New Delhi: A preliminary US military inquiry has found that the United States was responsible for a devastating missile strike on an elementary school in southern Iran that took the lives of more than 160 girls, according to media reports on Wednesday citing US officials and people familiar with the outcome.

During the early stages of US-Israeli operations, the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Iran's Minab county was struck on February 28. The preliminary investigation claims that the US military made a "targeting mistake" when attacking an adjacent Iranian base, which is why the incident occurred.

Confusion in the targeting process resulted from investigators discovering that the school building had previously been a part of that military base.

Outdated intelligence blamed for ‘targeting mistake’

Officers at US Central Command developed the target coordinates using outdated data from the Defense Intelligence Agency, according to individuals briefed on the probe. When the information was sent to US Central Command, the headquarters in charge of the war, the "target coding" incorrectly designated the school building as a military target.

The investigation's officials stated that the results are still preliminary and that there are still a lot of unresolved concerns, such as why the intelligence was not verified twice before the strike was executed.

The site had shifted over time, according to satellite photos. Three public entrances to the school had been opened, and watchtowers that had previously stood close to the structure had been taken down.

School located next to IRGC naval compound

The Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school is located in the town of Minab in southern Iran, on the same block of land as buildings used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Navy, one of the key targets of US military strikes. The university is located close to a land owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a potent military organization that directly reports to Iran's Supreme Leader, according to archived editions of the school's official website.

The school's location was once a part of the IRGC facility, which seems to have added to the strike's targeting difficulties.

The attack triggered global outrage 

A video that went viral online purporting to show a US Tomahawk cruise missile striking a naval base adjacent to the school brought attention to the incident. Media reports state that 175 individuals were killed in the incident, including 165 schoolgirls. The entire school building collapsed on the kids and teachers as the rockets hit while they were studying.

Concerns regarding the potential use of a Tomahawk missile manufactured in the United States were raised by the strike, which caused anger on a global scale.

What is Trump’s stance on the Investigation? 

US President Donald Trump had denied American involvement in the strike prior to the release of the investigation's findings, instead speculating that Iran may have carried out the attack itself. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump implied that Iran might have used a Tomahawk missile and claimed he did not "know enough" about the operation.

“Well, I haven’t seen it. I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is sold and used by other countries. Iran has some Tomahawks," Trump said.

Iran does not, however, have any Tomahawk missiles. Additionally, Trump declared that he was ready to accept the findings of the Pentagon's inquiry into the event. “Whatever the report shows, I’m willing to live with that report,” he added.