A preliminary military investigation has concluded that a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile was responsible for the February 28 bombing of an Iranian elementary school that left at least 175 people dead, many of them children.
The findings, first reported by The New York Times on Wednesday, indicate the strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school was the result of a significant targeting error during a broader military operation against a nearby naval base.
According to sources familiar with the report, the tragedy occurred because U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) relied on outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency.
This information led to the school building being mislabeled as a military asset during the “target coding” process. While the U.S. is the only party in the current conflict utilizing Tomahawk missiles, investigators are still trying to determine how the mistake bypassed multiple layers of human and technical verification across several agencies.
Officials are examining whether the error was caused by data-crunching programs or artificial intelligence (AI) models, though human error remains the primary suspect. Satellite imagery confirms that a precision strike hit the school at the same time as the initial attack on the Iranian naval base; the base was struck again roughly two hours later.
The Pentagon has not provided a full accounting of the failure, only that the incident remains “under investigation.”
The findings contrast with earlier statements from the White House. On Saturday, President Donald Trump suggested that Iran was responsible for the explosion, a sentiment he echoed Monday while speaking to reporters on Air Force One.
“In my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran,” Trump said. “They’re very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran.”
Despite his initial claims, the President noted he would accept the final results of the investigation. When asked Wednesday about the new findings linking the U.S. to the strike, Trump told reporters he didn’t “know about that” as he departed for Ohio and Kentucky.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has maintained that the administration is awaiting the completion of the formal inquiry.
READ: Trump Signals Impending End To Iran Conflict As “Operation Epic Fury” Decimates Leadership
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