A United States military investigation into the deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran is nearing completion, according to a top American military commander, though officials say the case has proved unusually complicated.
The strike, which hit a school in Minab on February 28 during the opening day of the Iran conflict, reportedly killed more than 175 students and teachers, based on figures released by Iranian authorities.
Speaking before a committee of the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said the investigation was approaching its final stage.
“I’m always reluctant to put a timetable on it,” Cooper said. “But it is coming to an end, and transparency is important.”
The incident has drawn growing scrutiny after earlier reports indicated that an internal US military review suggested American forces were likely responsible for the strike. While the Pentagon later upgraded the inquiry, it has yet to publicly confirm any preliminary findings.
Democratic lawmakers pressed Cooper during the hearing to acknowledge what they believe is likely US involvement.
Representative Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, argued that the circumstances appeared increasingly clear.
“It’s really pretty clear what happened there,” Smith said, criticising the delay in publicly accepting responsibility more than 80 days after the incident.
Cooper, however, maintained that the situation was not straightforward.
According to him, the school was located within an active missile facility operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), making the investigation more complex than a typical military strike review.
“The school itself is located on an active IRGC cruise missile base. It’s more complex than the average strike,” he told lawmakers.
Archived material from the school’s official website reportedly shows the institution stood adjacent to an IRGC compound.
Reuters had earlier reported, citing sources familiar with the investigation, that US officials responsible for assembling strike targets may have relied on outdated intelligence.
Iran swiftly rejected suggestions that the school’s location could justify the attack.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described such explanations as “baseless fabrication,” insisting that attacking a school during operating hours amounted to a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
“The civilian nature of the site cannot be obscured by technical misrepresentations,” he wrote on X.
Cooper insisted the US military does not deliberately target civilians and follows the laws of armed conflict strictly.
“We follow the law of war to a T,” he said.
The hearing also widened into a broader debate over civilian casualties and Iran’s own human rights record. Cooper accused Iranian authorities of killing thousands during domestic unrest and said Tehran had carried out numerous attacks on civilian areas across the Middle East since fighting began in February.
Still, the focus remained on Minab, where families and international observers continue to await the final findings of a probe that could carry serious diplomatic and legal consequences if US responsibility is formally established.
