Bangladesh Diary Desk 

A deadly strike on a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, that reportedly killed dozens of students may have resulted from outdated targeting intelligence used by the United States Department of Defense, according to two sources familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.

The incident, which occurred during the opening day of coordinated attacks by United States and Israel on Iran, is under internal investigation by the US military. If confirmed, it could represent one of the most serious civilian casualty incidents involving US forces in decades.

Earlier reports indicated that US forces were likely responsible for the strike. Video footage circulating online appears to show a Tomahawk cruise missile hitting the area near the school, though officials say the exact sequence of events remains under review.

According to Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, the strike killed around 150 students. Iranian authorities have described the attack as one of the most tragic incidents involving civilians during the recent escalation.

Archived information from the school’s website indicates that the campus was located next to a compound linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the powerful military force that answers directly to Iran’s supreme leader. Sources familiar with the investigation said those responsible for preparing the targeting package may have relied on outdated intelligence data.

Two individuals with knowledge of the inquiry said preliminary findings suggest that old intelligence may have been mistakenly used in planning the strike. However, investigators are still trying to determine how the outdated information ended up being used and whether other factors contributed to the incident.

Responding to questions, the Pentagon said the matter remains under investigation and declined to provide further details until the review is complete.

Following the reports, Donald Trump initially claimed without presenting evidence that Iran itself might have been responsible for the strike. Later, he acknowledged that he did not yet have enough information and said he would accept the findings of the ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, and other officials stressed that American forces do not intentionally target civilians. Under international humanitarian law, deliberately striking civilian structures such as schools or hospitals could constitute a war crime.

Images broadcast by Iranian state television last week showed large funeral gatherings for the victims. Small coffins draped in Iranian flags were carried through crowds before being taken to burial sites, reflecting the scale of grief following the tragedy.