Trump blames Iran for deadly school attack despite evidence pointing to US strike
Expert-reviewed footage shows the missile struck an IRGC facility next to a primary school in Minab, raising questions over responsibility as Iran blames the US and Israel
Even as US President Donald Trump has blamed Iran for the deadly attack, expert analysis of video footage indicates that a US Tomahawk missile struck a military base near a primary school in southern Iran. According to Iranian authorities, the strike killed 168 people, including around 110 children.
The footage, published on Monday by Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency and verified by BBC Verify, captures the missile seconds before it hit the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base adjacent to Shajareh Tayebeh primary school in Minab. BBC Verify has previously established through satellite imagery, verified videos and expert analysis that the area near the school was hit by a series of strikes.
Also read | How Asian economies are coping with energy crisis amid Iran war
Experts who have seen this latest video told BBC Verify that the presence of a Tomahawk missile, along with evidence the area was hit with multiple strikes, indicates this was a US operation. Neither Israel nor Iran are known to possess Tomahawks, experts said.
US strike likely confirmed
It would also make the scenario of a single Iranian missile hitting the site at the same time and causing such a high reported death toll highly improbable, an expert told BBC Verify.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said Iran was to blame for the strike on the school. "We think it was done by Iran because they're very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
According to the BBC's US news partner CBS, a preliminary assessment of the incident by the US suggests it was “likely” to have been responsible for the deadly attack but did not intentionally target the school and may have hit it in error.
Also read | Iranian warships in Indian Ocean: How India responded as US-Iran conflict escalated
An Israeli government source told CBS News that Israel was not behind the attack and its military was not operating near the school. Iran has blamed the US and Israel for the attack. Neither the US nor Israel has publicly accepted or denied responsibility.
BBC Verify’s analysis of the video suggests a clinic, which Iranian media says belonged to the IRGC navy, at the base was likely hit by the Tomahawk missile seen in the footage. The clinic is approximately 200m (650ft) from the school. The footage was first analysed by online investigation group Bellingcat.