Published On 7/7/2026
CNN reported – from 3 informed sources – that senior American military leaders ignored warnings about the obsolescence of intelligence information related to potential targets in Iran, and agreed to carry out strikes, one of which targeted a school and resulted in the killing of more than 180 people, most of them children, on the first day of the war on Iran last February.
The sources explained that the decision of the senior leaders, which ignored warnings contained in vital databases, was made for reasons of “speed and operational suitability” to provide targets at the beginning of the war, which caused the “wrong strike” on the school.
She added that messages indicated that the intelligence information was outdated and required re-verification of its accuracy, was included in a system used to identify targets, and required the approval of a high-ranking officer before any site was included in the strike list.
The White House: We do not target civilians
The sources said that US military officials learned, days after the raid on the school, how the mistake had occurred and that the information was old, adding that the US military opened an investigation at the time.
On the other hand, CNN quoted a White House official as saying that the investigation into the strike on the Iranian school is still ongoing, noting that “the United States does not target civilians.”
Iranian official media reported that the strike claimed the lives of 168 children and 14 teachers, which may make it among the worst incidents of civilian casualties in US military operations in recent years.
The strike occurred on February 28 on the “Shajarat Taiba” school in the city of Minab, southern Iran, and American forces were targeting a nearby facility belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, according to what CNN reported, citing preliminary results of the military investigation.
Satellite images dating back to 2013 show that the school and the Revolutionary Guard base were part of a single complex. However, pictures taken in 2016 showed the erection of a fence separating the school from the base and the construction of a separate entrance to it. Pictures from December 2025 also showed the presence of dozens of people in the school yard.
