Khaberni - The Wall Street Journal reported that an American official said that American investigators preliminarily suggest that American forces were responsible for a raid targeting a school in Iran.
In turn, CNN reported that evidence they gathered indicates the US military is responsible for an attack on an elementary school in southern Iran, which killed dozens of children, in the deadliest incident in terms of civilian casualties in the ongoing war between the United States and Israel against Iran since about a week ago.
Also, two American officials told Reuters that American military investigators believe that the American forces might be responsible for the attack targeting a girls' school in southern Iran on Saturday, which resulted in the death of dozens of children, confirming that the investigation is still ongoing and its results have not been finalized yet.
Reuters reported that it could not obtain further details about the investigation, including the evidence on which this assessment was based, the type of ammunition used, the party that carried out the strike, or the reason the school might have been targeted.
A girls' school in the city of Minab in southern Iran was attacked on Saturday, the first day of the American-Israeli aggression on Iran. The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, stated that the attack resulted in the death of 150 students.
US Investigation in Progress
On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged that the US military had opened an investigation into the incident.
During a press conference, he said, "We've opened an investigation into this matter. We, of course, never intentionally target civilian sites, but we are reviewing what happened and are conducting an investigation regarding it."
In turn, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that the United States "would not deliberately target a school," adding that the Department of Defense will conduct an investigation if it is revealed that the American forces carried out the attack.
The Pentagon referred Reuters' requests for comment to the US Central Command. Its spokesperson, Timothy Hawkins, said, "Commenting would be inappropriate while the investigation is ongoing."
American or Israeli Attack?
While the White House did not comment directly on the investigation, spokesperson Carola Levy said in a statement to Reuters, "While the Department of Defense investigates this matter, it's the Iranian regime that targets civilians and children, not the United States," according to her statement.
According to the officials, who requested anonymity, this assessment is still preliminary, and new evidence may emerge that could exonerate the United States and indicate another party, as reported by "Reuters".
A senior Israeli official and a source familiar with joint military planning said that American and Israeli forces coordinate their attacks inside Iran by distributing targets geographically and by type.
According to the sources, Israel targets missile launch sites in western Iran, while the United States strikes similar targets as well as naval targets in the south.
Calls for an International Investigation
In its capacity, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for an investigation into the incident without specifying the party that may be responsible for it.
Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said at a press conference in Geneva, "The responsibility for the investigation lies with the forces that carried out the attack."
The Iranian state television showed scenes from the funeral of the students on Tuesday, displaying small coffins draped with Iranian flags being carried through a large crowd to the burial site. Under international humanitarian law, any deliberate attack on a school, hospital, or other civilian facility may be considered a war crime.
Reuters stated that if Washington's involvement in the attack is confirmed, it could be among the most deadly incidents against civilians in conflicts the United States has engaged in the Middle East over the decades.
