Evidence suggests the deadly blast at an Iranian school was likely a US airstrike

"Satellite images taken Wednesday and reviewed by the The Associated Press show most of the school in the city of Minab, some 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) southeast of Tehran, reduced to rubble, a crescent shape punched into its roof. Experts say the tight pattern of the damage visible on the satellite photos is consistent with a targeted airstrike."

"According to the Pentagon's instructions on processes for mitigating civilian harm, an assessment is launched after a group of investigators make an initial determination that the U.S. military may bear culpability. A U.S. official told the AP that the strike was likely U.S."

"More than 165 people were killed, most of them of children, in the blast during school hours at Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School, according to Iranian state media. The Feb. 28 strike, which had the highest reported civilian death toll since the war began, has come under staunch criticism from the United Nations and human rights monitors."

A February 28 airstrike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran killed more than 165 people, predominantly children, during school hours. Satellite images reviewed by the Associated Press show the school reduced to rubble with a distinctive crescent-shaped impact pattern consistent with targeted airstrikes. Multiple sources including satellite analysis, expert assessment, U.S. military statements, and an anonymous U.S. official suggest the strike was conducted by U.S. forces targeting an adjacent Revolutionary Guard compound. The Pentagon launched a formal assessment of the incident, a procedure typically initiated when investigators determine potential U.S. military culpability. Neither the United States nor Israel has accepted responsibility, though Iran has blamed both countries. The strike represents the highest reported civilian death toll since the conflict began and has drawn criticism from the United Nations and human rights organizations.

Read at www.mercurynews.com