Trending Now - Trump Used Unverified Intel to Accuse Iran of School Bombing

WHO:

President Trump

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)

Defense Intelligence Agency

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

Former CIA officer (anonymous)

Former senior defense official (anonymous)

WHAT:

A missile strike on a girls' school in Iran killed at least 175 people, mostly children.

The strike is described as one of the deadliest targeting errors in recent decades.

Trump accused Iran of the bombing based on initial unverified intelligence.

The CIA initially assessed the missile was not a U.S. Tomahawk missile but later confirmed it was.

The Pentagon is conducting an investigation into the strike and the intelligence used.

WHERE:

The strike occurred at a girls' school in Minab, Iran.

The school was located on the same block as an IRGC navy base.

WHEN:

The missile strike occurred in March 2026.

Trump raised the allegation to reporters on Air Force One on March 12th, 2026.

The CIA realized the missile was a Tomahawk within 24 hours of the initial assessment.

WHY:

Trump had already settled on blaming Iran for the strike before receiving updated intelligence.

The investigation is focused on why outdated intelligence was used and whether it was double-checked.

HOW:

The Defense Intelligence Agency and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency use a program called Maven Smart System to build target databases.

Target lists are generated using artificial intelligence tools, including Claude, Anthropic’s large language model.

The school was converted from a military compound to a school between 2013 and 2016 and was separated from the IRGC base by a wall built in 2013.

(UPDATED March 17, 2026 17:25 UTC)

A missile strike on a girls' school in Minab, Iran, killed at least 175 people, mostly children, making it one of the deadliest targeting errors in recent decades. President Trump accused Iran of the bombing based on initial unverified intelligence, while the CIA confirmed within 24 hours that the missile was indeed a U.S. Tomahawk, prompting the Pentagon to launch an investigation into the intelligence used. The school had been converted from a military compound to an educational facility between 2013 and 2016, and was located on the same block as an IRGC navy base, separated only by a wall built in 2013.