Jerusalem, July 1, 2026 — More than four months after a missile strike devastated a primary school in Iran’s southeastern city of Minab, key questions surrounding one of the deadliest civilian incidents of the U.S.-Iran conflict remain unanswered. Despite ongoing investigations and extensive independent research, there has been no official public report explaining exactly how the tragedy unfolded or who bears responsibility.
The February 28 attack claimed the lives of a large number of civilians, most of them children, making it one of the most devastating reported incidents of the conflict. While the Iranian government has blamed the United States, Washington has not formally accepted responsibility, and the Pentagon has yet to release the findings of its internal investigation.
Investigation Yet to Be Released
According to officials familiar with the inquiry, the U.S. military quickly gathered evidence indicating that a school had been struck. However, the final investigative report has not been made public, leaving victims’ families and the international community without clear answers.
Speaking last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had not reviewed the Pentagon’s findings and questioned whether the United States was responsible for the attack, noting that numerous missiles were launched during the conflict.
Defense officials have confirmed that the investigation remains under review but have not announced when, or if, its conclusions will be released.
Reconstructing the Events
Independent researchers, human rights organizations, satellite imagery experts, and eyewitnesses have pieced together a detailed timeline of the incident using open-source evidence, interviews, and publicly available videos.
The attack occurred on the morning of February 28 in Minab, a city located near the Strait of Hormuz. Reports indicate that school officials, responding to news of military strikes elsewhere in Iran, contacted parents to collect their children early as a precaution.
Before many families could arrive, several powerful explosions struck the school compound.
Satellite analysis suggests multiple buildings within the complex were hit, causing extensive destruction and trapping students and staff beneath the rubble. Rescue workers spent hours searching through the debris as families desperately looked for missing children.
School Located Near Military Facility
Investigators found that the school was situated adjacent to a base operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Although some students reportedly came from families connected to the military, local children from surrounding communities also attended the school.
Human rights experts emphasize that regardless of the school’s location or the backgrounds of its students, educational institutions and children are protected under international humanitarian law.
Casualty Figures Continue to Vary
The exact death toll has never been officially confirmed.
Iranian authorities initially reported approximately 150 fatalities before later raising the figure to 168. Independent conflict-monitoring organization Airwars has identified 157 victims, including 123 children under the age of 14 and 34 adults, among them teachers, school employees, and parents.
Researchers estimate that between 95 and 111 additional people were injured.
The absence of an official, verified list of victims has complicated efforts to establish a complete record of those killed.
Challenges to Independent Reporting
Obtaining reliable information from Minab has proven difficult.
Internet restrictions, limited access for international journalists, and ongoing military operations in the region have significantly hindered independent investigations. Human rights organizations have also reported that some residents feared speaking publicly due to concerns over possible retaliation.
As a result, much of the available information has relied on eyewitness testimony, satellite imagery, and open-source intelligence rather than unrestricted on-the-ground reporting.
Questions Over Target Identification
Sources familiar with the Pentagon’s investigation have indicated that the building may not have been properly identified as an active school during the military targeting process.
Officials reportedly believe intelligence records failed to accurately reflect the building’s civilian status, raising concerns about possible shortcomings in target verification procedures.
Former defense officials have also questioned whether reductions in civilian harm mitigation programs and outdated protected-site databases contributed to the incident.
Calls for Transparency Grow
Several lawmakers in the United States continue to demand greater transparency regarding the investigation. Members of Congress have stated they expect a comprehensive explanation of how the strike occurred and whether military procedures require reform to prevent similar tragedies.
Human rights organizations have likewise urged the release of the investigation’s findings, arguing that accountability is essential for both the victims’ families and the broader international community.
Families Still Await Answers
More than 120 days after the Minab school strike, survivors and relatives of those killed continue to seek clarity about the circumstances surrounding the attack.
With the Pentagon’s investigation still under review and no official public findings released, many of the central questions—including the precise sequence of events, the number of weapons used, and whether intelligence failures contributed to the tragedy—remain unresolved.
As international attention shifts to other developments in the region, calls for accountability and transparency continue from rights groups, independent investigators, and lawmakers seeking a full public accounting of one of the conflict’s deadliest civilian incidents.
