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'Nobody Did That On Purpose': Trump Says Strike On Iran Girls’ School Was A 'Mistake'
Apoorva Gupta | June 18, 2026 11:11 AM CST

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that the attack on the girls’ school in Iran during a deadly strike in February was not intentional, stressing that an investigation into the incident remains underway.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Evian-les-Bains, Trump dismissed suggestions that the school had been deliberately attacked.

“It's such a strange question to be asked at this state because you're talking about a long time ago, but nobody did that on purpose…What about the the thousands of soldiers they blew up? What about the thousands of people killed by Iran. Mistakes are made. War is nasty. But I know it's under investigation,” Trump said.

Strike Killed More Than 175, Says Iran

The February 28 strike, which took place on the first day of the conflict, killed more than 175 children and teachers at a girls’ school in Minab in southern Iran, Reuters reported, citing Iranian officials.

A report by news agency Reuters had earlier stated that an initial internal US military investigation found that American forces were likely responsible for the fatal attack. The Pentagon subsequently expanded the probe, though it has not publicly acknowledged any preliminary findings.

Trump's latest remarks come after he initially blamed Iran for the strike, despite offering no evidence to support the claim.

He has since adopted a more cautious position, saying he does not know enough about the incident and that he would accept the conclusions of the ongoing investigation once it is completed. 

Probe Nearing Completion

Last month, the head of US Central Command said the inquiry into the strike had been "complex" because the school was located on an active Iranian cruise missile base. The military official also indicated that investigators were approaching the final stages of the probe.

Archived copies of the school's official website show that the institution is situated next to a compound operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military force that reports directly to Iran's supreme leader.

"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 before a committee in the US House of Representatives in May.

The Trump admisnitration was also pressed by Democratic lawmakers to publicly acknowledge the ​likely US responsibility.

Questions Over Intelligence Used

US officials involved in preparing targeting packages appear to have relied on outdated intelligence while identifying potential targets, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, 

The findings of the Pentagon's investigation are expected to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the strike and determine whether intelligence or operational shortcomings contributed to the deaths of students and teachers.

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