CENTCOM Commander Says School Strike Probe Is Complex Due to Missile Base Location

Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, told a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday that an investigation into a strike on a school in Minab, Iran, remains ongoing because the site sits on an active IRGC cruise missile base.

The strike occurred on February 28, the first day of the war, and killed more than 150 people, a majority of whom were school children, according to multiple reports.

Cooper said the probe is more complex than a typical strike because of the school's location. He added that the investigation is nearing completion but did not provide a timeline for its conclusion. He agreed to release an unclassified version of the findings once the review is finished.

During the hearing, ranking member Adam Smith questioned why responsibility had not yet been acknowledged more than 80 days after the incident. Cooper responded by pointing to the ongoing investigation and the base's dual use. Smith stated that past incidents of this type had been acknowledged quickly even while further review continued.

Cooper said he and his staff reviewed 39 incidents cited in New York Times reporting over the weekend. He stated that only the Minab school strike matched a U.S. strike, while the other 38 did not involve U.S. munitions. The New York Times had reported that the school was hit by a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile, a weapon Iran does not possess.