Bellingcat authenticated the video (video, 3:18) using timing data, geolocation, satellite imagery and analysis of the locations of trees, streets, sidewalks, etc. and tools like Google Earth Pro. Bellingcat also compared images of the falling missile to open source details of the physical appearance of U.S. Tomahawk missiles easily available on the internet. Tomahawk missiles are manufactured by Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ.
The school was located near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base.
On Air Force One, in response to reporter’s question about who was responsible for bombing the Iranian girls school, convicted felon/sexual abuser/President Trump responded, “In my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth followed up with the comment, “We’re certainly investigating, but the only side that targets civilians is Iran.”
U.S. officials’ denials strain credulity.
For Iran to have bombed its own elementary school, the country would have had to procure a Tomahawk cruise missile at a cost of roughly U.S. $2.5 million — a kind of missile it has no access to and isn’t known to use — learn how to use it and deploy it on the exact date and time and at the exact same location that other U.S. bombs were hitting the area on the first day of the war.
The likelihood of the scenario Trump and Hegseth advanced, that Iran bombed its own school either intentionally or by mistake due to faulty and inaccurate guidance systems, seems improbable at best.
Presidential spokesperson Karoline Levitt also denied that a U.S. missile could have been responsible for killing the Iranian school children:
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Americans have a right to expect the U.S. government to hold off on making any pronouncements about who is responsibile for deaths until the facts of an incident have been well-established and made public.
Below is Reuters drone footage of graves being prepared for school bombing victims (Reuters via Instagram):
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This is devastating news, and the technical breakdown of the missile components really clarifies the scale of the tragedy. With the situation escalating like this, I’ve been trying to help some distant relatives look into relocation options to safer regions, but the legal requirements for different jurisdictions are so confusing right now. Does anyone here have experience with the verification of local operators or safety protocols for financial transactions in South America, specifically regarding the guidelines mentioned at https://guiadef0rbetcolumbia.com for navigating the 2026 regulatory landscape, or is it better to stick strictly to European-based frameworks for emergency resettlement funds?
This is absolutely heartbreaking to read, especially seeing the technical breakdown of the missile fragments. With the situation escalating like this, many families are desperately looking for ways to get their relatives out of the region and settled somewhere safer, like Spain or Portugal. I’ve been trying to help a colleague with the paperwork for their relocation, but the bureaucracy is overwhelming. Does anyone know if the standard process for getting an ID number at https://e-residence.com/fr/nie-spain-online/barcelona/ is still functioning normally for those coming from conflict zones, or are there additional security screenings now that could delay the issuance of the NIE?
THe evidence seems to suggest now that the US strike was made using older information. The building that the school was located in used to be part of the base. Basically, we didn’t know that is was now an elementary school.
Before I fire my .30-06 deer rifle, I ought to damn well know what my target is.
Absolutely.
I have heard, but have not confirmed, that the department responsible for vetting the targetting information was gutted by Hegseth.
Meanwhile “our” White House keeps posting memes to suggest that this was is somehow funny and is set to music . . . geez!
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/arts/television/iran-war-trump-memes-social-media-videos.html?campaign_id=57&emc=edit_ne_20260311&instance_id=172356&nl=the-evening®i_id=31448&segment_id=216522&user_id=d2288277b6e72e488b3025ce09c28fc9