US Commanders Overrode Intelligence Warnings Before School Strike in Iran

Senior US military commanders reportedly ignored significant warnings regarding the age of intelligence used to identify targets in Iran. This decision-making process, driven by a desire for “expediency” at the outset of the war, is said to have directly contributed to a strike that hit a school, resulting in a tragic loss of life. According to Iranian state media, at least 168 children and 14 teachers perished in the attack, potentially marking it as one of the deadliest civilian casualty incidents involving the US military in recent history.

Sources familiar with the targeting process indicated that warnings were embedded within the systems used for developing targets, flagging intelligence as years old and requiring re-vetting. Despite these alerts, which necessitated approval from a senior officer to add a site to the strike list, commanders allegedly bypassed them to expedite the provision of targets early in the conflict.

The US military became aware of the error within days of the strike, with one source stating, “It was obviously old info.” Months later, the Pentagon has yet to release the findings of its investigation into the incident, though a White House official confirmed the investigation is ongoing and reiterated that the “United States does not target civilians.”

The strike occurred on February 28, targeting a school adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facility. Satellite imagery indicated the school and base were once a single compound, but had been separated by a fence prior to the strike. The incident took place on the first day of US operations, as military officials and analysts scrambled to update targeting information for thousands of sites.

Analysts reportedly did not refresh all relevant records before strikes commenced, leading to intelligence for many targets being over a decade old. Fixed sites, like the school, were considered lower-tier targets and their data was less likely to be updated urgently compared to mobile or high-threat targets. The targeting databases, MIDB and MARS, indicated the need for updates, but the push for speed reportedly led to these warnings being bypassed.

Furthermore, reports suggest that Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response teams were understaffed, potentially exacerbating the risk of such errors. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously implemented significant cuts to these programs. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the Pentagon directing questions to US Central Command, which declined to comment.