Experts report US missile strikes building near Iranian girls’ school
Experts have analyzed a recently discovered video that seems to depict a U.S.-made missile striking a building in Iran, close to a girls’ school where 168 individuals reportedly lost their lives, according to information provided to ABC News. The video, originally shared by the Iranian outlet Mehr News and later circulated by former U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician Trevor Ball, who now collaborates with the investigative group Bellingcat, reveals what appears to be a U.S.-made Tomahawk missile.
The footage was examined by ABC News, which was able to geolocate it next to the location where the lethal attack occurred on February 28. During this assault, multiple structures linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were annihilated, along with a neighboring building that housed a school for girls. The missile’s impact captured in the video struck a building within the IRGC complex, not the girls’ school. Experts have pointed out that the characteristics of the missile indicate it is likely a Tomahawk, a type commonly utilized by the United States and not commonly found in Iran or Israel’s arsenal.
Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, suggested that the size and structure of the missile align with those of a Tomahawk. This perspective was shared by N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services, who also stated that the munition exhibited in the video closely resembles a Tomahawk missile, therefore indicating U.S. involvement in the strike. However, Jenzen-Jones cautioned that without access to munition fragments, it is challenging to definitively attribute the responsibility for the attack on the nearby school.
Even with this new video evidence, there is still a lack of certainty regarding who was behind the attack on the school. Although the likelihood of U.S. involvement in striking the adjacent targets has increased, further confirmation is required. ABC News has approached the Pentagon for a response to these developments and continues to seek more information on the incident.
This incident raises important questions about the source of the missile and the responsibility for the strike on these sensitive targets. Focusing on the facts revealed in the video, experts are working to piece together the events that led to this tragic loss of life near the girls’ school in Iran. The ongoing investigation seeks to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the strike and ultimately hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions.