Verified facts, OSINT findings, and media coverage documenting the Minab School airstrike of February 28, 2026.
Video footage from Mehr News Agency shows cruise missile consistent with BGM-109 Tomahawk TLAM. Independently confirmed by Bellingcat and weapons experts based on size, shape, and explosion pattern. Tomahawk is a US-exclusive weapon — Israel does not possess it.
OSINT VerifiedUS Navy vessel (Arleigh Burke-class destroyer or Ticonderoga-class cruiser) from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) carrier strike group. Launched from Arabian Sea / Gulf of Oman, approximately 300-400 km south of Minab.
OSINT VerifiedStrike occurred during "Operation Epic Fury" (Feb 28, 2026). US forces assigned to southern Iran (Hormozgan), Israeli forces to northern Iran. DoD map confirms Minab within US strike zone.
DoD Documents2013 imagery shows building as IRGC Naval compound. 2016-2026 imagery (Google Maps + Planet Labs) confirms it was walled off from military site for 10+ years, with separate entrance and playground equipment — functioning as a civilian school. Attack based on outdated intelligence.
Satellite ImageryGeolocated social media videos confirm separate, distinct strikes on the school building (triple-tap pattern), ruling out accidental shrapnel from the adjacent military site.
Geolocation VerifiedPreliminary internal military assessments acknowledged US forces were "likely" responsible. Official confirmation initially withheld.
Official StatementDenied its military was operating near Minab (Hormozgan region).
Official DenialCondemned the strike as a war crime. State media released extensive forensic proof showing US missile fragments.
Official CondemnationOSINT teams verified the strike pattern and trajectory pointing toward the Arabian Sea. The weapon was confirmed as a US-exclusive Tomahawk TLAM, not any Iranian-made missile.
Satellite imagery from multiple sources proves the school was clearly separated from the military site for at least 10 years, with visible playground equipment and a separate civilian entrance.
Killed
Injured
Children Identified by Name
Photos Recovered