ISTANBUL

Multiple international media reports citing satellite imagery, verified videos, and expert analysis have suggested that the deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran’s southern city of Minab may have occurred during attacks targeting a nearby Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval facility.

The Feb. 28 strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school killed more than 170 people, many of them children, according to Iranian officials. No side has formally taken responsibility, and US authorities say the incident is under investigation.

Strike may have resulted from ‘target misidentification’

An analysis by The New York Times, based on newly released satellite images, geolocated videos, and social media posts, indicated that the school was hit at the same time as precision strikes on an adjacent IRGC naval base near the Strait of Hormuz.

Satellite imagery reviewed by the newspaper showed multiple precision impacts on at least six buildings inside the military compound, as well as severe damage to the school structure.

Wes J. Bryant, a national security analyst and former US Air Force official who reviewed the images, told the outlet the pattern of destruction appeared consistent with “precision target strikes,” suggesting the most likely explanation could be a case of "target misidentification."

Damage pattern suggests use of 'penetrating munition'

BBC Verify also reported that satellite imagery from Planet Labs showed multiple impact sites and burn marks around both the school and nearby IRGC facilities.

Experts cited by the BBC said the concentration of craters and scorch marks indicated the area was likely struck several times in quick succession.

“So many impact sites so close together suggests there were one or more targets in close proximity to each other,” satellite imagery analyst Jamon Van den Hoek of Oregon State University told the broadcaster.

Another analyst said damage patterns in the school building suggested the use of a munition designed to penetrate deeper structures.

School’s location, timing, nearby smoke suggest wider strike wave

A reconstruction by The Guardian, based on verified videos, satellite imagery, and open-source intelligence analysis, concluded that the school lies directly adjacent to a cluster of IRGC buildings, including what appears to be a naval medical facility.

Open-source researchers cited by the newspaper confirmed the school’s location next to the military compound, though satellite images show the facility had been physically separated from the base by a wall in recent years.

The newspaper reported that the school’s location, the timing of the strike, and smoke rising from nearby buildings support the assessment that the school was likely hit during a broader wave of US-Israeli strikes targeting sites around the IRGC complex.

The US military said it was “looking into” the incident.

Witnesses report ‘double-tap’ strike

Middle East Eye, citing first responders and survivors, reported that the attack may have involved what is known as a “double-tap” strike — a tactic in which a second strike hits the same location shortly after the first.

According to accounts cited by the outlet, a second explosion struck the school area shortly after the initial blast, reportedly hitting people who had taken shelter following the first strike.

Satellite imagery reviewed by the outlet also showed damage to several nearby IRGC buildings located roughly 200 meters (656 feet) from the school, suggesting the area was struck as part of a wider series of attacks.

Strike aligns with US attacks on nearby military bases

The CBC News reported that the bombing took place during the first wave of US-Israeli operations against Iran, and noted that Minab lies within the primary area of US military activity in southern Iran.

Satellite images also showed US strikes on military facilities in Bandar Abbas, about 80 kilometers (49 miles) west of Minab, and Konarak Naval Base, roughly 400 kilometers (248 miles) to the southeast, indicating the school strike coincided with a broader pattern of US attacks on missile and naval sites in the region.

International organizations have also called for clarification over the incident. UNESCO described the killing of students as a “grave violation” of protections for educational facilities under international humanitarian law and urged a full investigation.

Independent verification of casualty figures and the precise sequence of events remains difficult due to restricted access to the site and ongoing internet disruptions in Iran.

The reports come amid a wider US-Israeli military campaign targeting Iranian military infrastructure.

Israel and the US have continued a large-scale attack on Iran since Saturday, killing around 1,000 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top military officials.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.