Trump blames Iran for deadly attack on girls’ school: ‘They have no accuracy’

President Trump has blamed Iran for a deadly strike on a girls’ elementary school in Iran, following reports suggesting the United States may have been responsible.

“We think it was done by Iran because they’re very inaccurate with their munitions,” Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One while en route to the Shield of Americas summit in Florida on Saturday.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, standing alongside Trump, added, “We’re still investigating. But the only side that targets civilians is Iran.”

The attack hit Shajarah Tayyebeh Girls’ School in southern Iran during the first day of joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28. Iranian officials claim the strike killed more than 180 people, including 168 children and 14 teachers, though these figures have not been independently verified.

A man in work gloves holds a child's backpack as people search through rubble of a destroyed school. — Iran has claimed that over 180 people were killed in the strike. AP

The school is located within a complex linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and was previously used as an IRGC headquarters facility, according to the Wall Street Journal. Satellite imagery from 2013 shows the school and IRGC compound were once part of the same base. More recent imagery from December shows a school courtyard with people present.

Several reports, including from the Wall Street Journal, suggest that based on satellite imagery and other evidence, the US may have been responsible for the strike. Independent verification is difficult due to limited data and Iran’s internet restrictions.

Rescue workers and residents search through the rubble of a girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran. — The strike on the elementary school is the largest known instance of civilian casualties in Iran since the US and Israeli strikes began. AP

Neither side has formally claimed responsibility for the attack, which appears to be the deadliest strike on civilians since the outbreak of the conflict with Iran. The school is located in Minab, near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes annually.

Iran has blamed both the US and Israel for the strikes. Israeli officials reportedly said they were not aware of operations in the area.

Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Department of War was investigating. “The United States of America does not target civilians, unlike the rogue Iranian regime, that … uses propaganda quite effectively,” Leavitt said. “And unfortunately, many people in this room have fallen for that propaganda.”

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