President Trump on Saturday suggested without evidence that a deadly strike targeting a girls’ primary school in southern Iran last weekend was likely carried out by the country. During an interview aboard Air Force One, after attending the dignified transfer of six U.S. soldiers who were killed in an Iranian attack in Kuwait earlier that month, Mr. Trump posited: “We think it was done by Iran… They have no accuracy with their munitions.” In response to a reporter’s query about the accuracy of this assessment, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the Pentagon was investigating and emphasized that only the Islamic Republic targeted civilians.
The incident occurred on February 28th, marking the first day of the conflict. Iranian state media and health officials reported dozens killed, including schoolgirls aged seven to twelve. They blamed Israel and the U.S., citing their lack of precision with weapons. Two sources confirmed that Israel was not operating in the vicinity; one Israeli source told CBS News directly: “Israel is not responsible for this strike.”
CBS News obtained footage showing smoke emanating from a damaged building adorned with mural imagery, including crayons, children, and an apple. The footage was geolocated to the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran, which marked regular school days on Saturday.
Sources within U.S. investigators suggested that the U.S. might have been involved. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly stated: “The investigation is ongoing,” adding that no conclusions had yet been reached and it was irresponsible to claim otherwise. Unlike the terrorist regime of Iran, the United States does not target civilians.
CBS News has confirmed that the building in question was close to two sites controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranian state media reported over 170 deaths from the blast.
Sara Cook, Camilla Schick, and Olivia Gazis contributed to this report.