Four months after a US Tomahawk cruise missile struck a girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran, killing at least 175 people—mostly children—the Pentagon has released no findings. The secretive investigation into the attack, one of the deadliest US civilian bombings in decades, has reportedly concluded. But critics fear the Trump administration and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will bury the results under classification.
Attack Details and Aftermath
The strike occurred on the first day of the US-Iran war, targeting a building believed to be an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base. However, it was a school. Back-to-back or "double tap" strikes killed mainly children under 12. Mohammadreza Ahmadi Tifakani lost two children: seven-year-old Hanieh died in the first blast; her 10-year-old brother Sobhan survived initially but was killed by the second explosion while searching for his sister.
Official Responses and Denials
President Donald Trump initially suggested Iran carried out the attack, then claimed Iran had access to US Tomahawk missiles—which it does not. At a G7 press conference in Évian-les-Bains, France, Trump dismissed the incident as a "mistake," saying, "Nobody did that on purpose." He later stated, "Mistakes are made. The war is nasty." The Pentagon has provided no updates. US Central Command said, "We have no updates at this time."
Investigation Findings
Media reports indicate the investigation concluded that the US used seven-year-old targeting data, failing to identify the building as a school. The New York Times reported that an analyst had warned years earlier that the site was a school, but the data was not updated. Former Pentagon officials doubt accountability. One former senior official said, "It's very rare that you would have a military operation and not have some incidents where there was a mistaken target... but I'm very doubtful that the Hegseth Pentagon will follow through."
Impact of Hegseth's Policies
Hegseth has dismantled civilian oversight units, calling for "bold, precise" rules of engagement to "unleash American power." He boasted in March, "Warfighters have maximum authorities granted personally by the president and yours truly." A May inspector general report found the military lacks the people, tools, and infrastructure to comply with federal civilian casualty policies. Wes Bryant, a former Pentagon civilian harm assessment chief, said, "I believe Hegseth and Trump are both going to do everything they can to suppress this investigation."
Congressional and Human Rights Concerns
Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) said she wrote to the Trump administration demanding answers but "gotten little to no response." She accused Trump of "hiding the truth from the American people and Congress." Niku Jafarnia of Human Rights Watch said Hegseth's actions have "systematically weakened protection measures." Tifakani expressed little hope: "We saw what happened in Gaza and Palestine. Now the same tragedy has befallen our own children. No matter what we say to them, that will not change anything."
Broader Implications
The Minab bombing mirrors past US mass-casualty incidents like the 2017 Mosul airstrike (at least 105 civilians killed) and the 1991 Amiriyah shelter bombing (over 400 killed). Bryant said the strike reflects "pure negligence and recklessness" and a "degradation of culture at senior leadership levels." The investigation's suppression could set a precedent for future accountability under Hegseth's tenure.
