Multiple investigations by international media outlets suggest that US forces were likely responsible for a strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran that killed scores of students on the first day of the US–Israeli military campaign against Tehran.

The strike hit the Shajare Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab on February 28, reportedly killing more than 150 children and teachers while classes were in session, according to Iranian officials. The exact death toll has not been independently verified.

Analysis by CNN found that satellite imagery, geolocated videos and expert assessments point to the school being struck at roughly the same time as a nearby facility belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which was likely targeted by US forces.

Experts reviewing the imagery say the pattern of destruction suggests multiple precision air-delivered munitions hit both the military compound and the nearby school building. According to munitions analyst N.R. Jenzen-Jones, the most likely explanation is that the school was unintentionally struck during an attack on the adjacent naval base.

A Reuters investigation citing two US officials also reported that American military investigators currently believe it is likely that US forces were responsible for the strike, although the probe has not yet reached a final conclusion.

Reporting by The New York Times similarly analysed satellite imagery and verified video footage from the scene, concluding that the school was hit during US strikes on a nearby Iranian naval facility. The newspaper said the building had long functioned as a civilian school despite being located near what had previously been part of a military complex.

Satellite images show that the school and the military compound were once part of the same facility but were separated years ago by fencing and a dedicated entrance for the school. Investigators believe outdated intelligence or a targeting error may have contributed to the strike.

The Pentagon has confirmed that the incident is under investigation. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military is reviewing the circumstances, stressing that American forces do not deliberately target civilian infrastructure.

The United Nations has called for a full investigation into the strike, warning that attacks on schools and other civilian sites could constitute violations of international humanitarian law.

If confirmed, the attack would be one of the deadliest incidents involving civilian casualties in the current war between the United States, Israel and Iran.