Strike on Elementary School Kills 175, Trump Blames Iran without Evidence
“It was done by Iran,” President Donald Trump claimed regarding the bombing that left 175 dead at a girls’ elementary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab. Despite several findings issued immediately after the tragedy that strongly indicated an accidental strike by the United States, Trump named Iran as the perpetrator.
The verified assertion came during an interview with reporters on March 7 onboard Air Force One enroute to Miami. Trump had just left Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where he attended a transfer ceremony for fallen service members. “Based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran. They’re very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions,” Trump said. Trump provided no evidence to support this claim.
Trump’s comments vastly differ from the traditional way in which the U.S. government responds to civilian casualties that have occurred during overseas missions. The United States tends to admit responsibility, albeit reluctantly, when such incidents occur, framing destruction as “collateral damage.” The argument is that unintentional harm that occurs during the process of planning and carrying out operations is due to human error or changes in circumstances. This was the case on Oct. 3, 2015, when the United States mistakenly bombed a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing more than 30 staff members and patients. This was the case again on Aug. 29, 2021, when a Kabul drone strike killed nine family members, including six children.
There is no evidence to support Trump’s claim that Iran caused this tragedy. However, there are multiple indicators that suggest an accidental U.S. strike. The New York Times reported that satellite images and video analyses indicate it is likely U.S. forces mistakenly hit the school while targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ naval base. Above all, the fact that the school is in close proximity to the naval base that was attacked at the same time, and that the school was used as a base until 2013, lends credibility to the report of a mistaken U.S. strike. As Trump spoke in flight, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was standing beside him, said, “We’re certainly investigating.”
Trump has yet to provide any clear proof. When it comes to the tragic deaths of so many children, shifting the blame onto the victim nation while knowing that it might not prove true is, in itself, a serious crime. This “Master of Deception” should realize that his long history of backtracking does not absolve him of his lies.
The verified assertion came during an interview with reporters on March 7 onboard Air Force One enroute to Miami. Trump had just left Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where he attended a transfer ceremony for fallen service members. “Based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran. They’re very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions,” Trump said. Trump provided no evidence to support this claim.
Trump’s comments vastly differ from the traditional way in which the U.S. government responds to civilian casualties that have occurred during overseas missions. The United States tends to admit responsibility, albeit reluctantly, when such incidents occur, framing destruction as “collateral damage.” The argument is that unintentional harm that occurs during the process of planning and carrying out operations is due to human error or changes in circumstances. This was the case on Oct. 3, 2015, when the United States mistakenly bombed a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing more than 30 staff members and patients. This was the case again on Aug. 29, 2021, when a Kabul drone strike killed nine family members, including six children.
There is no evidence to support Trump’s claim that Iran caused this tragedy. However, there are multiple indicators that suggest an accidental U.S. strike. The New York Times reported that satellite images and video analyses indicate it is likely U.S. forces mistakenly hit the school while targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ naval base. Above all, the fact that the school is in close proximity to the naval base that was attacked at the same time, and that the school was used as a base until 2013, lends credibility to the report of a mistaken U.S. strike. As Trump spoke in flight, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was standing beside him, said, “We’re certainly investigating.”
Trump has yet to provide any clear proof. When it comes to the tragic deaths of so many children, shifting the blame onto the victim nation while knowing that it might not prove true is, in itself, a serious crime. This “Master of Deception” should realize that his long history of backtracking does not absolve him of his lies.
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