Jerusalem

New findings from investigative group Bellingcat suggest that the United States may have been responsible for a strike that hit a school in southern Iran and killed more than 165 people, challenging earlier claims by US President Donald Trump that Iran caused the explosion.

The incident occurred on February 28 during the early stages of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The attack struck a school located next to a base of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in Minab, a city in Hormozgan province. Analysts say growing evidence indicates the strike may have been carried out by US forces.

Experts speaking to The Associated Press and examining satellite imagery believe the school was hit amid a series of strikes targeting the nearby compound. The newly analysed footage released by Bellingcat appears to support that conclusion.

The video — a brief three-second clip circulated by Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency — shows a projectile descending onto a structure and producing a dark cloud of smoke that merges with plumes from earlier explosions in the area. Investigators from Bellingcat and the AP verified the location of the footage as being near the school.

Trevor Ball, a researcher with Bellingcat, identified the weapon in the clip as a Tomahawk cruise missile, a type of munition currently known to be used only by the United States among the forces involved in the conflict. This marks the first clear indication of the weapon used in the strike.

Determining the full circumstances of the attack remains difficult. No independent investigators have been able to access the site due to the ongoing war, and no images of missile fragments from the blast have been made public.

When asked on Saturday whether the United States carried out the strike — which reportedly killed mostly children — President Trump rejected the claim, saying that based on what he had seen the explosion appeared to have been caused by Iran. He also suggested that Iranian weapons were often inaccurate. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the incident was being examined.

Several developments, however, have strengthened suspicions of US involvement. The US military has initiated an assessment into the strike, a procedure that is typically launched when preliminary findings suggest the possibility of American responsibility for civilian harm.

A US official, speaking anonymously because of the sensitive nature of the matter, told the AP that the strike was likely carried out by US forces.

The location of the school also raises questions. It stands next to a Revolutionary Guard base and near barracks used by a naval unit — types of targets the US military has acknowledged striking in the region. American forces have confirmed conducting operations in Hormozgan province, including strikes close to the school.

Israel, which has denied carrying out the attack, has largely focused its operations on Iranian regions closer to its own territory and has not reported strikes as far south as Minab, which lies about 800 kilometres south of Isfahan.

The US Navy currently operates warships in the Arabian Sea, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, placing American forces within range of the area.

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As of Monday, neither the US Central Command nor the Israeli military had responded to requests for comment regarding Bellingcat’s analysis.