The Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school in Iran's Minab was hit on the first day (February 28) of the United States and Israeli attacks on Tehran. The bombing killed more than 160 children, with the United Nations panel of experts describing the incident as “a grave assault on children”.
Calls are growing for an independent probe on the attack, which comes after United States President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the deadly strike on a school. "We think it was done by Iran. Because they are very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever," Trump told reporters on Saturday.
Bellingcat Researcher Fact-Checks Trump's Claim
Amid this, a conflict researcher, Trevor Ball, associated with Dutch fact-checking group "Bellingcat" on Sunday made startling revelations. He stated that the strike on the girl's school has been traced back to a Tomahawk missile. In a post on X, Ball shared a video from Iran's Mehr News that shows the missile striking a building in the compound linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Minab.
According to him, the footage depicted for the "first time that the US struck the area." He added that the footage also shows smoke rising from the vicinity of the girls’ school.
What Does The Video Reveal?
However, what makes this finding interesting is the use of US developed Tomahawk missile to strike the area. "New video footage shows a US Tomahawk missile hitting an IRGC facility in Minab, Iran, on Feb 28, showing for the first time that the US struck the area. The footage also shows smoke already rising from the vicinity of the girls’ school, where 175 people were reportedly killed," Ball wrote on X.
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He further claimed that the footage appears to contradict Trump’s statement, which stated it was an Iranian missile that hit the school. Ball supported his claim by adding, "The US is the only participant in the war that is known to have Tomahawk missiles. Israel is not known to have Tomahawk missiles."
What Is Tomahawk Missile?
The BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile. It is used by the United States Navy, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy and Royal Navy. The missile is launched from ships or submarines and is capable of striking targets up to 1,600-2,500 km. It is considered one of the most powerful weapons in the US arsenal.
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