WASHINGTON — Outdated intelligence likely led U.S. forces to strike an Iranian elementary school in the opening hours of Operation Epic Fury, killing more than 165 people — many of them children — according to preliminary findings from a U.S. military investigation, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
The strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School occurred on February 28, a Saturday morning at the start of the Iranian school week when the building was full of students. The school was located near an Iranian Revolutionary Guard installation, but U.S. Central Command relied on target coordinates based on outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, according to a person familiar with the preliminary findings.
The revelation has sparked immediate backlash in Washington. More than 45 Democratic senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding answers, raising concerns about personnel cuts to the Pentagons Civilian Protection Center of Excellence — a congressionally mandated office created specifically to reduce civilian casualties from military operations. Senators questioned whether budget and staffing reductions under the current administration left military commanders without adequate oversight tools.
For San Diego — home to one of the largest concentrations of active-duty military personnel in the nation, centered around MCAS Miramar, Camp Pendleton, and Naval Base San Diego — the findings carry particular weight. Thousands of local service members and their families are directly connected to Operation Epic Fury. The casualty report released Monday showed approximately 140 U.S. service members wounded, with seven killed, since the conflict began.
President Trump, who initially blamed Iran for the school strike before later saying he would accept the results of the Pentagon investigation, has not addressed Wednesdays preliminary findings directly. A White House spokesperson said the investigation remains ongoing. Irans newly appointed supreme leader vowed Wednesday to continue retaliatory attacks against U.S. and Israeli targets.