Who hit the girls’ school in Iran? What we know so far about the deadly strike

The missile hit the school in Minab in southern Iran's Hormozgan province.

• US investigating deadly airstrike on Iranian girls' school
• At least 175 killed in Minab, many believed to be children
• Strike responsibility unclear amid ongoing conflict

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The United States says it is still trying to determine who carried out an airstrike that hit a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran, killing at least 175 people according to Iranian officials. The strike has become one of the most deadly and disputed incidents reported since the start of the US Israeli military campaign against Iran, the New York Times reported.

The attack took place on the first day of the conflict and has drawn international scrutiny because of the high number of reported civilian casualties, many of them believed to be children.

Where the strike happened

The school that was hit was identified as Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in the town of Minab, located in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media and local health authorities said at least 175 people died in the strike. The exact breakdown of casualties has not been independently verified, but officials said many of the victims were schoolchildren.

Video footage reviewed by journalists showed rows of newly dug graves at a nearby cemetery where funerals for victims were held earlier this week.

What US officials are saying

Speaking at a White House briefing on Wednesday, US press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the United States had not yet determined whether American forces carried out the strike.

“Not that we know of,” she said when asked directly if the United States had bombed the school. She added that the Department of War was investigating the incident. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a similar response during a Pentagon press briefing. Asked whether US forces were responsible, he said officials were still reviewing the information.

“All I can say is that we’re investigating that,” Hegseth said. He also stressed that US

forces do not deliberately target civilians.

Why responsibility is still unclear

Determining responsibility for individual strikes can be difficult during fast moving

military campaigns. Both the United States and Israel have been conducting air

operations against targets in Iran, while Iranian forces have launched retaliatory

attacks across the region.