A video released on Sunday appeared to show US Tomahawk cruise missiles striking near an elementary school in the southern Iranian town of Minab, where at least 168 people were reportedly killed, according to Iranian news agency Mehr.
According to the footage, the missile can be seen striking a naval base located beside the school. The strike reportedly took place on February 28 and the clip was filmed from a construction site opposite the base operated by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to The New York Times.
As the missile hits the base facility, large plumes of smoke and debris rise into the air. The footage also shows dust and smoke rising from the area around the school. According to the satellite images, several other buildings inside the naval base were also struck during the attack.
Tomahawk missiles are long-range precision-guided weapons capable of travelling about 1,000 miles. According to the US Department of Defense, they are programmed with a flight path before launch and guide themselves to their target. Each missile is around 20 feet long with a wingspan of about eight and a half feet and carries a warhead with explosive power roughly equal to 300 pounds of TNT.
US President Donald Trump has denied that American forces intentionally targeted the school. When asked by a reporter whether the United States had bombed the school, Trump said, “No. In my opinion and based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran”.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the Pentagon was investigating the reports but insisted that “the only side that targets civilians is Iran.”
Iranian state media reported that the attack took place at the Shajare Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab in Hormozgan province, near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian Red Crescent earlier said more than 100 people had been killed and nearly 100 wounded.
Rights group Hengaw said that it is investigating the identities of the students who were reportedly killed. According to the group, the school was holding morning classes at the time of the incident.
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