United States was responsible for the strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed 175 children.
The attack struck Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school, and the investigation found the weapon used was likely an American Tomahawk cruise missile. The finding contradicts earlier statements by Donald Trump, who had suggested that Iran was responsible for the explosion. The White House has not directly responded to the findings, saying only that the investigation remains ongoing.
Researchers from the investigative organisation Bellingcat analysed footage from the day of the attack and identified a munition falling onto a building at the school compound. Experts also used satellite imagery to reconstruct the sequence of strikes, suggesting the school was hit during a rapid series of bombings.
The three-second video analysed by Bellingcat was circulated by Mehr News Agency and shows a projectile striking a building and sending a plume of dark smoke into the air.
Bellingcat researcher Trevor Ball geolocated the footage to an area near the school, a conclusion later supported by analysis from Associated Press. Ball identified the munition as a Tomahawk cruise missile, a weapon known to have been deployed by US forces during the conflict.
United States Central Command has acknowledged launching Tomahawk missiles during the war and released images showing the destroyer USS Spruance firing one of the missiles while operating as part of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the region.
When questioned about the blast earlier, Trump said he believed Iran was responsible, although he did not provide evidence.
Legal experts have warned that even if the strike resulted from a mistaken identification of the target, it could still represent a serious breach of international law. Janina Dill, a scholar at University of Oxford, said that striking a civilian school, even if it was believed to be linked to a nearby military facility, would likely constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
Witnesses from the Iranian Red Crescent Society said the school may have been hit in what is known as a “double-tap” strike, where a second explosion follows the first to hit survivors or rescuers.
According to emergency responders, after the first blast struck the school, teachers attempted to move children to a prayer hall for safety. A second explosion then hit the area shortly afterwards, killing many of those who had taken shelter. Families in the city of Minab have since held mass funerals for the victims, many of whom were young children.