A video analysis suggests the missile used in the airstrike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, that killed at least 175 people was likely a Tomahawk missile used by the U.S. military. The finding contradicts President Donald Trump's claim that the attack was "done by Iran."
CNN reported on the 8th (local time) that the missile that fell near the Minab elementary school on the 28th of last month, when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, appears to be a BGM or UGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) used by the U.S. military. The conclusion is based on expert analysis of a seven-second video released by Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency.
Military experts told CNN that the weapon used in the attack matches the U.S. BGM or UGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile.
Sam Lair, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), told CNN, "It matches the external features of the Tomahawk, including the cruciform shape with wings in the center and the tail assembly at the rear." The Washington Post also reported the missile appears to be a Tomahawk, citing eight experts including a Tomahawk program developer who requested anonymity.
On the morning of the 28th of last month, around 10:45 a.m. local time, shortly after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran, a girls' elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, was destroyed by an external strike. Local health authorities said at least 175 people were killed, including children who were attending classes. This is among the deadliest attacks on civilians in the conflict between the U.S.-Israel and Iran.
President Trump, who had been refraining from comment after the airstrike, met with reporters aboard Air Force One on the 7th after attending a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base for the return of remains of U.S. service members killed during operations in Iran. "I think that attack was done by Iran," he said. "Iran's weapons accuracy is very poor." However, he provided no specific evidence. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also stated, "We are investigating," while claiming, "Iran is the only side that targets civilians."
