March 6, 2026 – Minab, Iran
The United States military has launched an investigation into a devastating strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran that reportedly killed scores of students, according to multiple reports. The incident occurred on Saturday, coinciding with the first day of coordinated U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
U.S. military investigators told Reuters that preliminary evidence suggests American forces may have carried out the strike, though no final conclusion has been reached. Two U.S. officials speaking anonymously emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and authorities are still reviewing all available evidence to determine exactly what happened.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, claimed that around 150 students were killed in the attack, though independent verification of the death toll is not yet possible. Details regarding the type of munitions used, the unit responsible, or the rationale for targeting the location remain unclear.
Captain Timothy Hawkins, spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, declined to comment while the investigation is active. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the Pentagon is “taking a look and investigating” the incident, stressing that civilian targets are never deliberately struck.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed this, noting that schools would not be targeted intentionally, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt deflected blame to the Iranian regime. “The Iranian government, not the United States, targets civilians and children,” Leavitt said.
According to sources familiar with joint military planning, Israeli forces concentrated on western Iran missile launch sites, while U.S. operations focused on southern missile and naval targets.
The United Nations human rights office has called for a full, transparent investigation. UN spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated in Geneva: “The onus is on the forces that carried out the attack to investigate it.”
Iranian state television broadcast footage from the victims’ funeral, showing small coffins draped in national flags being carried through crowded streets. Under international humanitarian law, targeting schools or hospitals can constitute a war crime.
The investigation is ongoing, and the international community is closely watching the unfolding developments.
