Minab School Tragedy: Report Claims US Ignored Intelligence Warnings Before Deadly Strike on Iranian School

A new report has raised serious questions over the decision-making process behind a US strike on a primary school in Iran’s Minab city, claiming that senior American military officials moved forward with targeting plans despite warnings that intelligence information required further verification.

According to a report by CNN, messages within the Pentagon’s targeting system reportedly warned that intelligence linked to certain targets in Iran was outdated and needed to be rechecked before approval. However, senior military commanders allegedly approved several targets despite those warnings, with officials citing operational urgency and pressure to quickly prepare strike lists.

The report said the decision was linked to the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

The Pentagon announced an investigation into the incident following the strike, but its findings have not yet been made public. A White House official told CNN that the investigation remains ongoing.

Iranian officials said the strike killed 168 people, including mostly children between the ages of 7 and 12, making it one of the deadliest attacks involving civilian casualties in recent US military operations.

Iran Rejects Claims of Accidental Strike

Iran has strongly rejected any suggestion that the attack was accidental, saying the school was deliberately targeted.

Iranian officials claimed that the two-story girls’ primary school was hit in a “triple-tap” attack involving three Tomahawk cruise missiles. They said the strike destroyed the school building, with the collapse of the roof trapping students inside.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in March, described the incident as a “calculated, phased assault” and accused the US and Israel of targeting civilian infrastructure.

Araghchi said the Minab strike was part of a wider pattern, claiming that hundreds of schools were damaged and thousands of students and teachers were affected during the conflict.

Iran Calls for Accountability at UN

Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani also rejected the argument that the strike was the result of an error, calling for accountability before the UN Security Council.

Iravani said the victims were civilians protected under international humanitarian law and were carrying out their basic right to education when the school was attacked.

He described the incident as a grave violation involving the killing and injury of children and attacks on educational facilities. According to Iravani, those responsible must face accountability for what he called a serious violation of international law.

“Justice, accountability, and action” are required for the victims of Minab, Iravani said, arguing that the suffering of the children should not be ignored.

The controversy surrounding the Minab school strike has intensified international debate over civilian protection, military accountability, and the rules governing the use of force during armed conflicts.