‘In my opinion, that was done by Iran’: Trump rejects reports linking US to Iran school strike
The school is located next to a compound linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has been targeted during the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran.
Graves being prepared for those killed in a US-Israeli strike on a girls’ school in Minab, Iran. The UN Human Rights office has called for an investigation into the incident. (Reuters)
Satellite images and expert analysis suggest that a blast that destroyed a girls’ school in Minab and killed more than 165 people was likely caused by a US airstrike, according to reporting by the Associated Press (AP).
The explosion on February 28 hit Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School during school hours. Iranian state media said most of those killed were children.
However, US President Donald Trump said he believed the attack was carried out by Iran.
“No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, according to BBC.
What happened
Satellite images reviewed by AP show the school building largely destroyed, with a crescent-shaped hole in the roof and surrounding damage. Experts said the pattern of destruction is consistent with a targeted airstrike.
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This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the area of a school and base of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Minab, Iran, May 14, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
The school is located next to a compound linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has been targeted during the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran.
Satellite photographs show several buildings inside the compound damaged by explosions, with craters and debris across the area.
What the US says
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the incident is under investigation.
“We’re certainly investigating,” Hegseth said when asked about the strike, according to AP. “But the only side that targets civilians is Iran.”
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A US official told AP that the strike was likely carried out by American forces, though the investigation is still ongoing.
What Trump said
Trump rejected reports suggesting US involvement and repeated that he believed Iran was responsible.
“We think it was done by Iran because they’re very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions,” he said. “They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran.”
His claim came after journalists cited evidence from satellite imagery and other reporting that suggested the blast happened at the same time as airstrikes on the nearby military compound.
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Why the location matters
The school stands close to facilities linked to the Revolutionary Guard, including barracks used by naval units responsible for operations around the Strait of Hormuz.
Residents and officials attend the funeral of people killed in what Iranian officials said was an Israeli-U.S. strike Feb. 28 on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Abbas Zakeri/Mehr News Agency via AP)
Experts said the damage pattern suggests multiple precise strikes on buildings inside the compound.
“All the strikes are clustered within the compound,” said researcher Corey Scher, who studies satellite imagery of conflict zones.
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Graves being prepared for those killed in a US-Israeli strike on a girls’ school in Minab, Iran. The UN Human Rights office has called for an investigation into the incident. (Reuters) 
