ISTANBUL

The US military is "likely" responsible for the Feb. 28 bombing of a girls' school in Iran that killed some 168 people, most of them children, US media reported Monday, citing sources briefed on a preliminary intelligence assessment.

The assessment suggests the school was not intentionally targeted and may have been struck by mistake, possibly due to outdated intelligence that identified the area as still part of a military base, a source told CBS News.

Two sources told the outlet that Israel's military was not operating in the area at the time, a finding corroborated by an Israeli government source who told CBS that Israel had no involvement.

The White House told the outlet that the "investigation is ongoing" and that it was "irresponsible and false" to draw conclusions at this stage.

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he believed the strike "was done by Iran," but without citing any evidence. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said an investigation was continuing.

The CBS report aligns with earlier analyses by investigative outlet Bellingcat and the New York Times, both of which found evidence that a Tomahawk missile, a weapon only the US is known to possess among the warring parties, struck a compound of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) near the school.

Several other outlets had also pointed to US responsibility based on satellite imagery, geolocated videos and expert assessments.

Multiple outlets, similar conclusions

The Wall Street Journal, citing an American official, reported that US military investigators believe American forces were likely responsible, though no final conclusion had been reached. The official claimed there were indications that the building had been used as an IRGC headquarters.

The New York Times, drawing on satellite imagery and geolocated videos, found the school was struck at the same time as precision hits on an adjacent IRGC naval base, with a former US Air Force official suggesting the most likely explanation was "target misidentification."

BBC Verify reported multiple impact sites and burn marks around both the school and nearby IRGC facilities, with analysts saying the damage pattern suggested the use of a penetrating munition.

A reconstruction by Britain’s The Guardian also placed the school directly adjacent to an IRGC compound, separated only by a wall built in recent years.

Middle East Eye, citing survivors and first responders, reported a possible "double-tap" strike — a second explosion hitting the area shortly after the first, striking people who had taken shelter.

CBC News noted the attack coincided with the first wave of US-Israeli strikes across southern Iran.

UNESCO described the killing of students as a "grave violation" of protections for educational facilities under international humanitarian law and called for a full investigation. No side has formally claimed responsibility.