A girls’ school in the Iranian city of Minab that was destroyed during a strike on February 28 had maintained a visible online presence for years, raising questions about how potential targets were identified during the early stages of the conflict between United States and Iran.
The building, identified as Shajareh Tayyebeh School, had an active website displaying photographs of students participating in school activities. Archived online pages showed girls wearing identical pink and white uniforms studying and playing in the courtyard. Satellite imagery from previous years also revealed brightly painted exterior walls and playground markings, indicating the site had been functioning as a school for some time.
According to an investigation by Reuters, the school was destroyed alongside at least six other buildings within a nearby military compound during a barrage of strikes. Iranian officials said the attack resulted in the deaths of about 150 students. The country’s envoy to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, publicly cited that figure after the incident.
Analysts studying satellite imagery, videos of the attack and photographs from the aftermath concluded that the compound was struck by several munitions, including at least one American-made cruise missile. Many experts believe the weapon involved was a Tomahawk cruise missile. The missile type is widely used by the US military and is capable of being launched from naval vessels or submarines.
Video footage from the strike showed smoke already rising from the compound before a subsequent explosion destroyed another structure. Satellite images taken after the attack revealed at least seven impact points across a roughly 325-metre stretch, including the collapsed school building.
The site was located near facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The school was part of a network of institutions operated by the Persian Gulf Martyrs’ Cultural Educational Institute, which has affiliations with the IRGC. Archived records show that the school’s listed address placed it near the Asef Brigade, a missile unit associated with the IRGC navy.
Investigators within the US Department of Defense believe American forces were likely responsible for the strike, although the Pentagon has said the incident remains under review. Officials have not commented publicly on the school’s online presence or why the location was selected as a target.
Two sources familiar with the investigation indicated that outdated targeting information may have played a role in the attack. The possibility was previously reported by The New York Times. Military analysts note that command centres often maintain long-standing target lists that are prepared in advance for potential conflicts, which may require frequent review to ensure their accuracy.
Minab lies near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and hosts one of Iran’s largest missile bases, according to Iranian state media. Satellite images taken after the strike also showed rows of newly dug graves in the town cemetery, believed to be burial sites for victims of the attack.
Although the full circumstances surrounding the strike remain under investigation, the destruction of the school has become one of the most controversial incidents of the conflict, raising questions about intelligence verification, target selection and the risks posed to civilian sites located near military infrastructure.
