Pentagon probe points to U.S. missile hitting Iranian school

"The U.S. has launched a formal investigation into a missile strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed at least 165 civilians, after a preliminary assessment determined the U.S. was at fault, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The investigation is expected to take months and will include interviews with all those involved, from planners and commanders to those who carried out the strike."

"NPR was the first news organization to report that the strike on the school appeared to be part of an attack involving precision weapons. Subsequent video of the strike released by Iranian state media gave visual indications that Tomahawk missiles struck a compound that included the school. Iranian state media also released pictures of Tomahawk missile components on a table in front of the school."

"The girls' school was once part of what had been an Iranian Revolutionary Guard naval base and may have been shown on outdated U.S. target lists as a military building. The school was walled off from the base sometime between 2013 and 2016, according to historical satellite imagery reviewed by NPR."

The U.S. has initiated a formal investigation into a strike on an Iranian girls' school that resulted in at least 165 civilian deaths. A preliminary assessment determined U.S. involvement in the attack. The investigation will span months and include interviews with planners, commanders, and personnel involved in the strike. Evidence indicates Tomahawk missiles struck the compound containing the school. The girls' school was formerly part of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard naval base and may have appeared on outdated U.S. target lists as a military facility. The school was separated from the base between 2013 and 2016. A public health clinic on the base was also struck; satellite imagery shows it was walled off around 2024 and opened in 2025. A special Pentagon office created by Congress to prevent civilian targeting was significantly scaled back by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

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