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Iran girls school bombing: US military investigating deadly strike

By
Published  March 14, 2026 10:03am MST
Military
FOX Local
article

FILE - This picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency shows the site of a strike on a girls' school in Minab, in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, on February 28, 2026. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28 t

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The Brief

    • Local reports in Iran claimed an all-girls school was hit in the initial round of bombings led by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.
    • Reported deaths have ranged from 165 to 180, and are said to include mostly school-aged girls and some teachers and parents.
    • The U.S. military is investigating the strike after pressure for answers has intensified.

The U.S. military is investigating a deadly Feb. 28 strike on an all-girls school in Iran after pressure for answers about who’s responsible has intensified. 

A new preliminary report revealed the U.S. was likely responsible for the strike, and Democratic senators are pushing the Department of Defense for information. 

Here is the latest: 

US investigating Iran girls school deadly strike

What they're saying:

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said at a Pentagon briefing Friday that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has appointed a senior officer from outside the command to lead the review. 

"CENTCOM has designated an investigating officer to complete a command investigation," Hegseth said, noting that the investigator is a general officer. "The command investigation will take as long as necessary to address all the matters surrounding this incident." 

"There’s only one entity in this conflict, between us and Iran, that never targets civilians, literally never target civilians," he said, defending U.S. targeting procedures while the investigation unfolds. "We will investigate. We’ll get to the truth and we’ll share it when we have it."

Earlier:

The Associated Press said President Donald Trump initially blamed Iran for the attack, later said he wasn’t certain who was to blame, and then said he would accept the results of the Pentagon’s investigation. 

Also, Iran's new supreme leader reportedly blamed the country's enemies for the school strike in his first message to the country on Thursday, without explicitly saying the ​U.S. was responsible.

RELATED: 1st week of Iran war cost US over $11 billion, Pentagon estimates

Why you should care:

If the U.S. fault is confirmed, ‌it would rank among the worst incidents of civilian deaths in the last two decades caused by American military operations, according to Reuters and The Associated Press. 

Iran girls school bombing

What happened:

The state-run IRNA news agency reported after the U.S. and Israel launched its initial round of strikes on Iran that at least 165 people were killed when a strike hit Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school, an all girls school in Minab, which is in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province.

The strike hit the morning of Saturday, Feb. 28. Saturday is the start of the Iranian school week, and the building was full of young children. 

A local official said among the dead were students, parents and school staff. 

READ MORE: Iran attack: Girls school hit with more than 165 killed, local reports say

Dig deeper:

The reported death toll has ranged from 165 to 180, and is said to include mostly girls and some teachers and parents. 

Reuters is reporting 168 children were killed; The Associated Press is reporting 165 people were killed; and FOX News Digital is reporting the Iranian regime has claimed between 168 and 180 deaths. 

Meanwhile:

On Wednesday, dozens of Democratic senators demanded answers from the Trump administration about the strike. A letter from more than 45 senators pressed Hegseth on whether the U.S. was, in fact, culpable. 

Also on Wednesday, The New York Times reported an initial military investigation found the American military was responsible for the deadly strike.

Dig deeper:

The Times said the strike was coordinated using outdated data and the school building was formerly a part of an adjacent military base. The Associated Press was also told by sources that the strike was carried out with outdated intelligence. 

What's next:

Hegseth said the investigation will take as long as necessary, and Trump has said he would accept the results of the Pentagon’s investigation. 

The Source: Information in this article was taken from remarks given by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon briefing on Friday, March 13, 2026, as obtained and reported on by FOX News and Reuters. Background information was taken from Reuters, The Associated Press and previous FOX Television Station reportings that incorporated local Iranian reports on the initial strike. This story was reported from Detroit.

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