Recent video evidence suggests a U.S. Tomahawk missile struck a facility belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) near a primary school in Minab, Iran, on February 28. The strike occurred as reports emerged of more than 160 girls killed in the area, according to Iranian state media, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the casualties and escalating tensions in the region.
The footage, first published by Iran’s semi-official news agency Mehr News and reviewed by CNN, appears to show the moment the missile impacted the area. This evidence challenges assertions made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has blamed Iran for the attack.
Filmed from a nearby construction site, the video shows ordnance consistent with a U.S.-made BGM or UGM-109 Tomahawk missile. The U.S. Navy routinely deploys Tomahawk missiles from its surface and submarine vessels, and experts say Israel does not utilize this type of weapon.
As the camera pans, a large plume of smoke is visible rising from the direction of the Tayyiba school in Shadareh. The video also captures dozens of people fleeing the area following the strike.
Sam Lair, a nonproliferation studies fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, told CNN that the ordnance depicted in the video aligns with a U.S. Tomahawk missile. “First, it matches the visual characteristics of a TLAM – the cruciform shape with center-mounted wings and aft tail. Second, the video was taken approximately 250 meters from the likely impact point,” he assessed.
Other weapons experts consulted by CNN concurred with this assessment, adding that TLAMs are often used in initial salvos before establishing air superiority.
While the specific target of the strike remains unclear, analysis by CNN suggests the missile hit a building within or adjacent to a medical clinic located on the IRGC base.
„Reuters“/„Scanpix“/Mitabo mokykloje žuvusių vaikų laidotuvės
Investigations by CNN and other news organizations last week indicated that the United States was likely responsible for the strike. Satellite imagery, geolocation of video footage, public statements from U.S. Officials, and assessments from munitions experts all point to the school being struck around the same time U.S. Forces likely targeted the nearby IRGC naval base. The development underscores growing regional tensions and the potential for miscalculation in the volatile Middle East.
CNN is continuing to seek imagery of remnants from the ordnance that struck the school. Such evidence would be crucial in determining accountability for the strike, though a definitive assessment remains elusive without it.
Trump’s Response
President Trump has accused the Iranian military of carrying out the strike on the girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran.
“We believe the Iranians did that… As you grasp, their ammunition is very inaccurate. They are totally inaccurate,” the U.S. Leader said Sunday.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth did not directly confirm the claim, but noted that the U.S. Is investigating the incident.
“The only country that strikes civilians is Iran,” he emphasized.
The Minab school was struck on February 28, the first day of a joint U.S. And Israeli military operation against Iran.
AFP/ „Scanpix“/Donaldas Trumpas
Iranian authorities have reported more than 180 people killed. This information has not been independently verified.
Tehran immediately blamed Washington for the strike. The New York Times previously reported that the U.S. Military may have been involved in the explosion, noting that the U.S. Air Force target in Minab was an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base, and the strike on the school may have been a mistake.
Sources at NBC News reported that the Trump administration informed Congress that U.S. Forces conducted strikes near the school.
