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🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

US military dismissed 'looks like a school' assessment in Iran bombing, report delayed

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • The U.S. military disregarded warnings that a target in Iran was a school, leading to the deaths of over 170 students and staff in a February bombing.
  • Investigators found that outdated satellite imagery and a failure to relay analysis indicating the site was a school contributed to the tragic misidentification.
  • The release of the final report on this incident, considered one of the worst civilian casualties caused by U.S. forces since 1991, has been delayed, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.

U.S. forces ignored intelligence indicating a target in Iran was a school, resulting in the deaths of over 170 students and staff in a February bombing. The incident, which occurred on Feb. 28, involved the bombing of the Sarajeh Ta'eyyeb elementary school in Minab, Iran.

Despite analysis suggesting the site was a school, this information was not incorporated into the targeting process. Military intelligence had classified the school, located near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base, as a military site for approximately a decade, using outdated satellite imagery that had not been updated in seven years. An analyst identified the location as a school, but this crucial report was reportedly not passed on.

It's unbelievably serious negligence.

— Wes Jay BryantA former Pentagon civilian harm mitigation advisor describes the U.S. military's actions in the Iran school bombing.

The U.S. military proceeded with the attack, striking the school while students and staff were present, preparing to leave for the day. The strike, carried out with Tomahawk missiles, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 170 individuals. Wes Jay Bryant, former senior policy analyst and civilian harm mitigation advisor at the Pentagon's Center for Civilian Casualty Assessment, called the event an "unbelievably serious mistake" and urged accountability for those responsible.

A highly professional military should be able to ascertain the facts and hold people accountable.

— Jack ReedA U.S. Senator expresses concern over the lack of accountability following the Iran school bombing.

An investigation into the bombing has concluded, but the final approval and public release of the report are pending, awaiting sign-off from military leadership, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses, and the White House. The delay has fueled concerns about transparency and accountability, with critics pointing to the Pentagon's tendency to protect its organizational image and intelligence agencies' reluctance to admit errors.

This incident is being compared to other major civilian casualty events involving U.S. forces, including the 1991 bombing of a civilian air-raid shelter in Baghdad that killed over 400 people. The lack of swift acknowledgment and action following the Iran school bombing has drawn criticism, particularly given past instances where the U.S. military eventually admitted to mistaken strikes, such as the drone strike in Afghanistan in 2021 that killed 10 civilians.

The Department of Defense has rarely responded transparently to these kinds of issues. Their reflexive response is, 'It wasn't us.'

— Sarah YeagerA former Pentagon official criticizes the Department of Defense's approach to civilian casualty incidents.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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