Trump said it may never be known who was responsible for the February 28 strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed more than 175 children and teachers.
The incident has drawn international condemnation and renewed scrutiny over civilian casualties.
US officials maintained that American forces do not deliberately target civilian sites.
Trump Says Responsibility For Deadly Iran School Strike May Never Be Determined
Reuters previously reported that US military investigators believed US forces were likely responsible, though the investigation remains incomplete and no final conclusion has been reached.
Summary
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that responsibility for the strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed scores of children may never be conclusively determined, as investigators continue to examine one of the deadliest incidents since the Iran war began.
The attack took place on February 28, the first day of the conflict, and killed more than 175 children and teachers, according to Iranian officials. The strike sparked international outrage, with the U.N. human rights office describing it as “absolutely horrific.”
In March, Reuters reported that US military investigators believed it was likely that US forces were responsible for the apparent strike, although the inquiry had not reached a final conclusion and remained ongoing.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later confirmed that the military was investigating the incident. Officials familiar with the probe, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said investigators had not ruled out the possibility that new evidence could emerge and identify another responsible party.
The Pentagon has since escalated the investigation but has not publicly disclosed any preliminary findings.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump questioned whether the investigation would ever produce a definitive answer.
"I don't know that they are ever going to solve that problem," Trump told reporters.
"I don't know that they are ever going to solve that problem in terms of whose fault was it because there were missiles flying all over the place, and it's horrible what happened but there were missiles flying all over the place," he said.
"Somebody said it was our missile, maybe it wasn't our missile but I have seen nothing to lead me to believe it was," Trump remarked, adding: "I don't think it was us."
In March, the White House did not directly comment on the status of the investigation to Reuters. However, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: “While the Department of War is currently investigating this matter, the Iranian regime targets civilians and children, not the United States of America.”
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Asked about the incident during a briefing, Hegseth said: “We’re investigating that. We, of course, never target civilian targets. But we’re taking a look and investigating that.”
Under international humanitarian law, deliberately targeting a school could constitute a war crime. US officials have publicly maintained that Washington would not intentionally strike a school.
Trump had initially claimed without evidence that Iran was responsible for the attack. He has since said he does not know enough about the incident, that the investigation remains ongoing, that he will accept its findings and that "nobody" purposefully attacked the school.
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