Pentagon probe points to U.S. missile hitting Iranian school

The Pentagon has launched a formal investigation into a missile strike on an Iranian girls' school that resulted in at least 165 civilian deaths, many of them children. A preliminary assessment suggests U.S. involvement, with the investigation expected to take months and involve interviews with all personnel associated with the strike. If confirmed, this incident could be one of the deadliest involving civilians in decades. The White House stated that the U.S. does not target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime. Reports indicate the strike may have involved Tomahawk missiles, and the school was previously part of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard naval base, potentially appearing on outdated U.S. target lists. The school and a nearby public health clinic were walled off from the base between 2013 and 2016 and around 2024, respectively. President Trump suggested Iran or another country might have fired the missile, but military analysts dispute this, noting the weapon's specificity to U.S. forces. This event follows a pattern of civilian casualties, prompting concerns about the scaling back of Pentagon offices dedicated to preventing such incidents. These offices, significantly reduced by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, were crucial for target planning and ensuring civilian protection, with their diminished capacity potentially contributing to intelligence failures in targeting processes.