Minab school strike: US probe into strike nears end amid war crime allegations; Iran denies Washington claim as 'baseless fabrication'

A US military investigation into a strike on a girls’ school in Iran is nearing its conclusion, though officials say the probe has been ‘complex’ because the site was located near an active Iranian cruise missile base. The strike took place on February 28, the opening day of the conflict, in the southern Iranian city of Minab. Iranian authorities say more than 175 children and teachers were killed in the attack. Speaking before a US House committee on Tuesday, Admiral Brad Cooper said the investigation was approaching its final stages. “I'm always reluctant to put a timetable on it. (The investigation) is coming to the end, and I think transparency is important,” Cooper said.

Democratic lawmakers questioned why Washington had still not publicly accepted responsibility for the strike despite reports suggesting US forces were likely behind the attack. “It's really pretty clear what happened there. But 80 days on, we have not taken responsibility for that attack,” said US Representative Adam Smith. Smith pointed to previous incidents in which the Pentagon acknowledged likely responsibility even before investigations were complete. However, Cooper maintained that the Minab strike involved more complicated circumstances.

“The school itself is located on an active IRGC cruise missile base. It's more complex than the average strike,” he told lawmakers. Archived versions of the school’s website reportedly show the institution adjacent to a compound operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Reuters earlier reported that US officials responsible for preparing targeting packages may have relied on outdated intelligence.

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‘Baseless fabrication’

Iran swiftly rejected the US explanation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei described the claims as ‘baseless fabrication’ and accused Washington of attempting to justify civilian deaths. “The claim by US Central Command (CENTCOM) that the targeted #Shajareh_Tayyebeh Elementary School in #Minab was located within a "missile launch facility" is a baseless fabrication and an appalling lie,” Baqaei wrote on X.

He further condemned the strike, saying: “This shameless distortion is a clear attempt to obscure the severe reality of the 28 February missile attacks, which resulted in the tragic slaughtering of over 170 school children and their teachers.” Calling the attack a violation of international law, Baqaei added: “Targeting an active educational institution during school hours constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and is a clear war crime.”

“The military commanders and United States authorities responsible for ordering and executing this catastrophic assault must be held fully accountable under international law,” he said. During the hearing, Cooper insisted the U.S. military does not intentionally target civilians and said American forces follow the law of war “to a T.” Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, pressed the CENTCOM chief on Iran’s alleged attacks on civilians across the Middle East.

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