US strike likely hit Iran school due to outdated intel: Report

The US military likely relied on outdated intelligence about a nearby naval base when it accidentally struck Iranian elementary school, CNN reported citing two sources briefed on preliminary findings of an ongoing investigation. The attack on February 28 killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers, according to Iranian state media.

United States Central Command generated the strike’s target coordinates using outdated intelligence supplied by the Defense Intelligence Agency, a factor that contributed to the error, the report said.




As per a visual probe by NYT, satellite images from 2013 indicated that the school and a nearby base used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were once located within the same compound. However, imagery from 2016 showed that a fence had been installed separating the school from the rest of the base, along with the construction of a separate entrance for the school.

More recent images from December 2025 showed dozens of people in the school’s courtyard, apparently engaged in recreational activity.

The Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency deploy dozens, and in some cases hundreds, of analysts to combatant commands, where they work with military planners and intelligence units to help identify and develop potential targets.

US officials and others familiar with the probe stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and that more details are still emerging, according to people briefed on the inquiry.

Although Donald Trump has prioritised targeting Iran’s naval capabilities in the conflict to prevent disruptions to global commerce in the region, the country’s navy has historically not been a primary focus for the Defense Intelligence Agency, which has concentrated more on Iran’s missile programme as well as other strategic priorities such as China and North Korea.