According to a report by Reuters on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, a senior United States military official has said that an ongoing investigation into a deadly blast at a girls’ school in Iran remains complex because the facility was allegedly located within an active missile installation operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) head, Admiral Brad Cooper, made the remarks on Tuesday while testifying before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, where lawmakers questioned him on the circumstances surrounding the February incident in the southern Iranian city of Minab.
Admiral Cooper told the committee that early findings indicated the school was situated on or immediately adjacent to an operational Iranian cruise missile base, a factor he said has complicated efforts to determine the full details of what occurred.
He described the investigation as “highly complex,” noting that the military was still reviewing intelligence, operational data, and battlefield assessments before reaching a final conclusion.
The testimony comes amid competing accounts of the incident, which Iranian authorities say resulted in a devastating loss of civilian life, including a large number of children.
According to Iranian officials, the explosion occurred on February 28, the first day of a wider escalation in regional hostilities, and led to the deaths of approximately 168 children, most of them girls, as well as school staff.
Initial reporting by international media outlet Reuters indicated that an internal U.S. military assessment suggested American forces may have been responsible for the strike that destroyed the school compound. The report has not been independently verified, and the Pentagon has since broadened its review into the incident.
Admiral Cooper, however, did not confirm operational responsibility during his testimony. Instead, he emphasised that the location of the facility within a militarised zone significantly complicated the investigative process and raised questions about targeting, collateral damage, and the classification of the site.
He said the proximity of civilian infrastructure to active military installations was a key issue under review, particularly in determining how the site was identified during operational planning and whether standard engagement protocols were followed.
Lawmakers at the hearing pressed for clarity on whether sufficient precautions were taken to avoid civilian casualties and whether intelligence failures contributed to the outcome. Cooper declined to provide specific operational details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
The incident has drawn international attention amid heightened tensions between Iran and Western powers following a series of military confrontations earlier in the year. It has also intensified diplomatic debate over civilian protection in conflict zones where military and non-military structures are closely intertwined.
Iranian officials have consistently described the strike as a grave violation of international humanitarian law, insisting that the school was a civilian institution and that the deaths constitute a serious war crime. Tehran has called for accountability for those involved, while rejecting claims that the site had any legitimate military function.
The Pentagon’s investigation remains ongoing, with officials indicating that a final determination will be released after a full review of intelligence and operational records…….See More
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