ISLAMABAD: The United States military is investigating whether its forces were responsible for a strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran that reportedly killed scores of students during the first day of the US–Israeli military campaign, according to media reports.
Two US officials told Reuters that preliminary findings suggest it is possible that US forces carried out the strike, but the investigation has not yet reached a final conclusion.
The school in the city of Minab was reportedly hit on Saturday as part of the broader military operations against Iran.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the incident was under investigation, stating during a briefing that the US military does not intentionally target civilian facilities.
“We’re investigating that. We, of course, never target civilian targets, but we are taking a look and investigating that,” he said.
Officials speaking on condition of anonymity said investigators were still reviewing evidence and had not ruled out the possibility that new findings could point to another party being responsible for the strike.
Reuters reported that it was unable to determine details of the investigation, including the type of munition used, who authorised the strike or why the school may have been targeted.
According to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, the attack killed around 150 students, although the casualty figure could not be independently verified.
The United States Central Command declined to comment on the incident, saying it would be inappropriate while the investigation is ongoing.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also said the matter was being examined by the US military.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier that the United States would not deliberately target a school and referred questions about the incident to the Defence Department.
Reports indicate that Israeli and US forces have been dividing targets geographically during operations in Iran. While Israel has focused on missile launch facilities in western Iran, US forces have reportedly targeted missile and naval facilities in the south.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has called for a full investigation into the strike.
A spokesperson for the office, Ravina Shamdasani, said the forces responsible for the attack must conduct an inquiry.
Images broadcast on Iranian state television showed funerals for the students, with small coffins draped in Iranian flags carried through large crowds.
Experts note that intentionally targeting civilian structures such as schools or hospitals could constitute a war crime under international humanitarian law.
If US involvement in the strike is confirmed, analysts say it could become one of the most serious civilian casualty incidents linked to US military operations in the Middle East in recent decades.