'Missiles were flying all over': Trump says it may never be known who was at fault for strike on girls' school in Iran

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US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, DC, the US on May 21, 2026. — Reuters/File
US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, DC, the US on May 21, 2026. — Reuters/File

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday it may never be known who was at fault for a ​deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran on February ‌28, the first day of the Iran war, that killed scores of children.

Reuters reported in March that an initial internal US military investigation showed US forces were likely responsible ​for the fatal strike in Minab in southern Iran.

The Pentagon ​has since elevated the probe but it has not acknowledged any ⁠preliminary findings.

“I don’t know that they are ever going to solve ​that problem,” Trump told reporters.

“I don’t know that they are ever going to ​solve that problem in terms of whose fault was it because there were missiles flying all over the place, and it’s horrible what happened but there were missiles flying ​all over the place,” he said.

“Somebody said it was our missile, maybe ​it wasn’t our missile but I have seen nothing to lead me to believe ‌it ⁠was,” Trump remarked, adding: “I don’t think it was us.”

The strike on February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran, killed more than 175 children and teachers, according to Iranian officials.

The strike may be the result of US use ​of outdated targeting ​data, sources familiar ⁠with the matter told Reuters in March.

Deliberately attacking a school would likely be a war crime under international humanitarian ​law. US officials have publicly said Washington would not deliberately ​target a ⁠school.

The strike caused global outrage. The UN human rights office called it “absolutely horrific”.

Trump initially claimed, without evidence, Iran was responsible.

He has since said he does not ⁠know ​enough about the strike, that an investigation ​is ongoing, that he will accept the results of the inquiry and that “nobody” purposefully attacked the ​school.

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