Tehran: The strike that destroyed an elementary school in the southern Iranian town of Minab on February 28, killing at least 175 people including many children, may have occurred during a broader U.S. attack on a nearby Iranian naval base, according to an analysis of satellite imagery, social media posts and verified videos by The New York Times.
The school, Shajarah Tayyebeh Elementary School, is located close to a naval base operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The attack represents the deadliest reported civilian casualty incident since the United States and Israel began military strikes against Iran.
Analysis of newly released satellite images and eyewitness videos indicates that the school building was struck at roughly the same time as multiple precision attacks on the adjacent naval facility. Images from Planet Labs reviewed by analysts show that at least six buildings within the IRGC base were hit by precision strikes, with four structures completely destroyed and two others showing direct impact points on their roofs.
Videos recorded by witnesses shortly after the strikes show thick plumes of smoke rising simultaneously from both the naval base and the nearby school. Additional footage verified by investigators captured rescue workers searching through rubble at the school while residents gathered at the scene.
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United States officials have not confirmed responsibility for the school strike. At a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "Not that we know of," when asked whether the U.S. carried out the attack, adding that the Department of War was investigating the incident.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also confirmed that an investigation was underway. Meanwhile, Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said he was not aware of any Israeli operation in the area at the time.
However, U.S. officials have acknowledged that American forces were conducting military operations in southern Iran on the day of the strike. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that U.S. forces were carrying out strikes along the southern axis of Iran, including areas near the Strait of Hormuz, as part of ongoing operations targeting Iranian naval capabilities.
Satellite imagery also shows that the school building had previously been connected to the IRGC naval base more than a decade ago. Images from 2013 indicate that the structure was once within the base perimeter, though later imagery from 2016 shows the facility separated from the military compound and functioning as a civilian school with recreational grounds.
Security analysts reviewing the satellite images said the strike patterns suggest precise targeting. Wes J. Bryant, a former U.S. Air Force official who worked on civilian harm mitigation at the Pentagon, described the strikes as "picture perfect" and suggested that the school may have been hit due to "target misidentification".
Some claims circulating online suggested that an Iranian missile malfunction caused the damage. However, analysts reviewing the site rejected this theory, noting that a single errant missile would not likely create the pattern of simultaneous, precise strikes observed across several buildings.
The lack of visible weapons fragments and the inability of independent journalists to reach the site have complicated efforts to determine exactly what happened. Iranian authorities have reported that at least 175 people were killed, though the casualty figures have not yet been independently verified.
Legal experts have also raised questions about compliance with international humanitarian law. Janina Dill, an expert on the laws of war at the University of Oxford, said military forces are required to verify the status of targets to ensure civilians are not present before conducting strikes.
If it is confirmed that the school was struck by U.S. munitions, investigators will need to determine whether the incident was caused by faulty intelligence, outdated target information, or an operational error during the attack on the nearby naval facility.