White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed questions on Tuesday (March 10) regarding US President Donald Trump's claim that Iran had access to US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, the type likely used in a recent strike on a girls' school in southern Iran.
Leavitt said, "The president has a right to share his opinions with the American public," adding that "he has said he'll accept the conclusion of that investigation."
While the US sells Tomahawk missiles to some allies, there is no evidence to suggest that Iran possesses them.
Deadly strike on girls' school
On February 28, the first day of the ongoing Middle East conflict, a missile strike hit a girls' school in Minab County, southern Iran. Iranian state media reported at least 165 deaths, many of them students. State television aired footage showing mourners, coffins draped in Iranian flags, and excavators preparing mass graves.
Access to the site remains restricted for foreign media.
Conflicting claims of responsibility
Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of carrying out the strike. President Masoud Pezeshkian said, "The United States and Israel are responsible for this strike."
US President Donald Trump, however, attributed the attack to Iran, stating aboard Air Force One, "We think it was done by Iran. Because they are very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever."
Israel has consistently denied involvement. Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, Israeli military spokesman, said, "We found no connection to IDF operations to the strike... We have checked multiple times and have found no connection between the IDF and whatever happened in that school."
US response and official statement
The deadly attack has prompted condemnation and urgent questions about the weapon used. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized, "The United States would not deliberately target a school. Our objectives are missiles, both the ability to manufacture them and the ability to launch them."