On the first day of the airstrikes on Iran, a girls' school was also bombed, killing about 170 people, mostly children. There is increasing evidence that the US military is to blame for the attack, ARD writes.
What happened on February 28?
On February 28 - the first day of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran - a girls' school in the Iranian province of Horgan was bombed. At the time of the attack, the building was full of children - It was Saturday morning, the start of the school week in Iran.
According to Iranian media, about 170 people died, most of them children. As soon as the incident became known, the question arose of who was responsible.
What is known about the school?
The girls' school is located in the city of Minab. According to Reuters, its building is located in close proximity to a complex of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. And the “New York Times“ claims that it is a base for the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. The school building was previously part of the military complex in question.
It is not clear when part of it was converted into a school. According to the Associated Press (AP), satellite images show that the later school was part of the military base until 2017. The New York Times reported that the school complex belonged to the military base until at least 2016. The newspaper cited archived satellite images that showed that after that period, watchtowers on the grounds of the current school were dismantled and three public entrances to the school, as well as playgrounds, were opened. At that time, walls were apparently erected to separate the school from the military complex.
The AP added that the school's fence was covered in colorful murals in blue and pink - so bright that they could probably be seen from space. In this way, the school was clearly recognizable on satellite images as a civilian facility, ARD points out.
What is known about the attack?
Several independent studies and reports indicate that the alleged attack may have been due to a mistake by the US military. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the results of the investigation conducted by the US military, the AP and Reuters agencies reported that the most likely cause of the mistake was outdated data from US military intelligence.
The “New York Times“ had previously put forward the thesis of outdated data. The publication also cited anonymous US officials who wondered why the information in question had not been double-checked. In this regard, they assume that it was not a technical issue, but a "human error in wartime."
On March 8, the Bellingcat investigative group announced the results of studies based on the analysis of recordings distributed by the Iranian news agency "Mehr." They show that the neighboring military base of the Revolutionary Guard was hit by a "Tomahawk" cruise missile. "The New York Times," which also checked the photos in question, drew attention to the fact that they only refer to the shelling of the military complex. It has not yet been officially confirmed that "Tomahawk" cruise missiles were used, ARD points out.
What does the US government say?
Immediately after the attack, Iran, Israel and the US denied any responsibility. In his initial reaction, US President Trump suggested that Iran could be to blame for the possible attack. Its weapons are “very inaccurate”, he said. The Iranian leadership, however, is adamant that the US is responsible.
Earlier this week, the US government announced that it would investigate the incident. Since then, both Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegsett have refrained from commenting. On Tuesday, White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt confirmed that the investigation is ongoing. Trump has already announced that he will accept the results of this investigation.