US senator urges accountability over Iran school strike

Growing scrutiny surrounds a deadly missile strike that destroyed a girls’ school in southern Iran, after a Republican senator said the United States must acknowledge responsibility if investigations confirm that American forces carried out the attack.

The remarks followed mounting evidence that a Tomahawk missile used during joint military operations against Iranian targets may have struck the school in the town of Minab, killing scores of civilians, many of them children. The attack has become one of the most controversial incidents of the conflict between Washington and Tehran, triggering political debate in the United States and international condemnation over civilian casualties.

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said the United States should not ignore the incident or attempt to dismiss the allegations. Speaking in television interviews, he described the strike as a possible “terrible, terrible mistake” and said the country must accept responsibility if military investigations confirm American involvement. The senator added that he hoped the inquiry might show otherwise but insisted that accountability remained essential if the evidence pointed to US forces.

Casualty figures reported by Iranian authorities suggest that more than 160 people were killed when the building was hit during the opening phase of airstrikes targeting Iranian military facilities. Iranian officials say the majority of those killed were schoolchildren, though independent verification of the figures remains difficult because of limited access to the site.

Preliminary findings cited by officials familiar with the investigation indicate the strike may have been based on outdated intelligence. The target was believed to be a facility associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps located near the school. Military data apparently still classified the building as part of an older military compound, even though satellite imagery shows that it had been converted for civilian use years earlier.

Defence officials have confirmed that an internal investigation is under way but have declined to provide detailed comment while the inquiry continues. Senior figures in the administration have stressed that American forces do not intentionally target civilian facilities and that the circumstances surrounding the strike are still being examined.

President Donald Trump initially suggested that the destruction of the school could have been caused by Iranian weaponry rather than American missiles. He later indicated that he was awaiting the outcome of the investigation before drawing conclusions.

The Pentagon has reiterated that US military doctrine emphasises strict rules of engagement designed to minimise harm to civilians. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States does not deliberately strike schools or other civilian structures, though he acknowledged that the incident is under formal review as part of the broader assessment of military operations against Iran.

Political reaction in Washington has broadened as details about the strike have emerged. Democratic senators have pressed the defence department for a full explanation of the incident, calling for an impartial investigation and demanding clarity on whether outdated intelligence contributed to the targeting decision.

Lawmakers said that the reported deaths of schoolchildren require transparent answers and warned that civilian casualties risk undermining international support for military operations in the region. Some members of Congress have also raised concerns about the escalation of hostilities between the United States and Iran following the launch of the campaign against Iranian military infrastructure.

The broader conflict began after joint American and Israeli strikes targeted Iranian missile facilities, naval assets and other military installations. Iranian retaliation has included drone attacks on regional bases and threats against commercial shipping routes near the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying fears of wider regional instability.

The destruction of the school has become a focal point of international concern because international humanitarian law strictly prohibits deliberate attacks on civilian structures such as schools. If the strike were proven to have intentionally targeted a civilian facility, it could raise serious legal questions under the laws governing armed conflict.

Images broadcast by Iranian media showed funeral processions for victims and rows of coffins draped in national flags, underscoring the scale of the tragedy and fuelling anger within the country. Iranian officials have blamed both the United States and Israel for the attack, while Washington and Tel Aviv have not confirmed responsibility.