US responsible for deadly Iran school strike after 'using outdated intelligence', report reveals
A preliminary investigation has reportedly found the blast was caused by a targeting error by the US military planners
The White House was responsible for a deadly strike on an Iranian school which killed more than 170 people, mostly children, a US military investigation has reportedly revealed.
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The strike hit the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school during the first day of the conflict on February 28, which left 175 dead, the majority of which were children, according to Iranian officials.
Donald Trump claimed the strike was "done by Iran," but according to the New York Times, which quoted anonymous US officials, a subsequent probe ruled the blast was a result of a targeting mistake by the US military planners.
The investigation has not been completed but reportedly found the US Central Command created the strike's target coordinates using outdated data provided by the Defence Intelligence Agency.
However, officials emphasised that the findings are at a preliminary stage.
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Speaking to reporters last week, Trump said: "We think it was done by Iran because they're very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever.
The same reporter also asked Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was standing behind Trump, whether the claim was true.
As the President turned to look at him, Hegseth said they were "certainly investigating", adding: "The only side that targets civilians is Iran."
Following Hegseth’s statement, Trump asserted: "It was done by Iran."
Responding to the claims, an official at the US military’s Central Command said: "It would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation."
Satellite imagery shows that watchtowers that once stood near the building have been removed.
The ground was cleared and play areas, including a sports field, were painted on asphalt, demonstrating clear indications that it was an educational facility.
Investigators have not yet uncovered why the outdated data was provided to Central Command.
Multiple videos of the bomb site at the school were shared by Iranian officials on social media, four of which appeared to show the school's colourful murals.
Iranian officials have claimed the death toll stands at 175.
The video was one of the first indications that the bomb that hit the school.
Officials probing the investigation have examined whether any AI models were to blame for the mistaken targeting, according to officials.
Claude AI works with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Maven Smart System and other software to identify points of interest for military intelligence officers, but officials said the error was unlikely to have been the result of new technology.
While Claude, the large language model created by Anthropic, does not directly create targets, it works with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Maven Smart System and other software to identify points of interest for military intelligence officers.