WASHINGTON: A United States military investigation into a strike at a girls’ school in Iran has been “complex” given that it was located on an active Iranian cruise missile base but the probe is approaching its conclusion, a US military commander said on Tuesday (May 19).
Reuters first reported that an initial, internal US military investigation showed US forces were likely responsible for the fatal strike in Minab. The Pentagon has since elevated the probe but it has not acknowledged any preliminary findings.
The incident took place on Feb 28 on the first day of the conflict and killed more than 175 children and teachers, Iranian officials say.
“I’m always reluctant to put a timetable on it. (The investigation) is coming to the end and I think transparency is important,” US Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, testified on Tuesday before a committee in the US House of Representatives.
Democratic lawmakers pressed Cooper to publicly acknowledge the likely US responsibility.
“It’s really pretty clear what happened there. But 80 days on, we have not taken responsibility for that attack,” said US Representative Adam Smith, top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.
Smith noted past examples of errant US strikes and how the Pentagon would accept initial responsibility ahead of the completion of its investigation.
But Cooper suggested the school strike was different.
“The school itself is located on an active IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) cruise missile base. It’s more complex than the average strike,” he told Smith.