New footage appears to show a US Tomahawk missile exploding near a girls’ school in Iran, as investigations into the deadly incident continue.
Iranian authorities say around 175 people were killed in the strike, which took place in the southern city of Minab on the first day of the US-Israeli assault. The reported death toll has not been independently verified.
Last week, US military investigators said they believe American forces were likely responsible but while the Pentagon is investigating, President Donald Trump has blamed Iran.
The Independent has analysed the new clip, which has been verified by the Washington Post, New York Times and Bellingcat.
It shows a large plume of black smoke after what appears to be a Tomahawk missile striking the ground in the vicinity of the school. The US is the only country directly attacking Iran known to have Tomahawk missiles.
US military’s Central Command declined to comment when contacted by The Independent.
Before the footage emerged, Trump told reporters the strike was “done by Iran”, adding “they’re very inaccurate as you know with their munitions, they have no accuracy whatsoever”. US defence secretary Hegseth previously said the US is “certainly investigating, but the only side that targets civilians is Iran”.
US ambassador to the UN Michael Waltz, however, declined to support Trump’s claims that Iran was responsible over the weekend.
“As Secretary Hegseth said, it’s under investigation,” Waltz said. “I can tell you, as a veteran, in no uncertain terms, the United States does everything it can to avoid civilian casualties. Sometimes, of course, tragic mistakes occur.”
An investigation by the New York Times, which included satellite imagery, social media posts and verified videos, has suggested the school was hit during an attack at the same time as the US was striking nearby buildings.
The Pentagon previously confirmed it was carrying out strikes on a naval base operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps near the school.
The strikes were reported online at around 11:30am local time on Saturday, February 28, and social posts including photos and videos of the building appeared to be taken within the same timeframe.
UN experts have described the attack as a “grave assault on children, on education, and on the future of an entire community”, adding that there is “no excuse for killing girls in a classroom”.
“An attack on a functioning school during class hours raises the most serious concerns under international law and must be urgently, independently, and effectively investigated, with accountability for any violations,” they added. “Civilians must never be treated as collateral.”
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that at least 1,600 people have been killed in Iran since the conflict began, including at least 1,200 civilians and 194 children.
Dozens have been killed across the region by Iran’s retaliatory attacks which have targeted Israel, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Seven US servicemembers have been killed in the conflict to date.
Source: independent.co.uk