Pentagon refuses to admit responsibility for deadly Iran school strike

RT News · May 20, 2026 · 581 words · By Russia Today

US Military Accountability US-Iran conflict International Humanitarian Law

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.rt.com/news/640250-pentagon-endless-stalling-school-strike/

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 95% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

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Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

10 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 6

info Single Source 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

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“The Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in southern Iran was hit on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources, including Wikipedia and news reports, confirm the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran, was hit on February 28, 2026, during the start of a US-Israeli campaign.

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web search NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2026, the first day of the 2026 Iran war, the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School, providing co-located single-gender education, of the Shahrak-e Al-Mahdi neighbourhood in Minab, Hormoz…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Minab_school_attack

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web search NEUTRAL — 28 strike that hit an elementary school in the southern Iranian town of Minab is the deadliest known episode of civilian casualties since the United States and Israel attacked Iran — and no side has y…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/world/middleeast/iran-sch…

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web search NEUTRAL — US-Israel war on Iran.A preliminary US military investigation has reportedly determined that Washington was responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school in February…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/11/iran-war-missi…

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“According to Iranian officials, 175 people were killed, most of them children.”

CORROBORATED

Two sources specifically mention the death toll of at least 175 people, mostly children, as reported by Iranian officials/sources.

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web search NEUTRAL — Strike that killed at least 175 people, most of them children, reportedly the result of a targeting mistake by US military planners.A woman throws rose petals on the coffins during funeral of children…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/11/iran-war-missi…

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web search NEUTRAL — 28 school strike in Minab, which killed dozens, including children, appears to have been part of an attack on an adjacent naval base in southern Iran, where officials said U.S. forces were operating. …
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/world/middleeast/iran-sch…

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“Investigations by media outlets and analysts later concluded that the school was likely hit by a US-made missile.”

CORROBORATED

Both The Guardian and another report mention that investigations by media and analysts concluded a US-made missile (specifically a Tomahawk) was likely responsible.

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web search NEUTRAL — Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab after the building was destroyed in a missile strike, May 13, 2026.Investigations by media outlets and analysts later concluded that the school was likely …
https://www.rt.com/news/640250-pentagon-endless-stalling-sch…

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web search NEUTRAL — A preliminary US military investigation has reportedly determined that Washington was responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school in February that killed scores of…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/11/iran-war-missi…

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“An internal military probe reportedly found US forces likely used “outdated targeting data” that misidentified the school as part of a nearby Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'internal' and does not contain any information regarding a military probe or targeting data.

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web search NEUTRAL — Internal medicine, also known as general medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in adults. Internal refers…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_medicine

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web search NEUTRAL — 6 days ago · The meaning of INTERNAL is existing or situated within the limits or surface of something. How to use internal in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/internal

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web search NEUTRAL — INTERNAL definition: 1. inside the body: 2. inside a person's mind: 3. inside an object or building: . Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/internal

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“At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, lawmakers pressed Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, to acknowledge US responsibility and disclose the preliminary findings.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Admiral Brad Cooper of US Central Command testified before a congressional oversight panel/House committee regarding the strike.

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web search NEUTRAL — The United States Central Command is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Central_Command

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web search NEUTRAL — Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), told a congressional oversight panel that “the school itself is located on an active IRGC cruise missile base”, making the investiga…
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354147/…

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web search NEUTRAL — US Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper says the Pentagon is not investigating reports that US forces struck dozens of schools and hospitals in Iran (Getty Images). The total death toll from that strik…
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politic…

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“Cooper deflected, saying “it’s a complex investigation” and claiming that the school was located “on an active IRGC cruise missile base,””

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources report Admiral Cooper's testimony that the school was located on an active IRGC cruise missile base and that the investigation is 'complex'.

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web search NEUTRAL — The US military investigation into a blast at a girls’ school in Iran is “complex” given that it was located on an active Iranian cruise missile site, US Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, …
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/05/19/ir…

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web search NEUTRAL — "The claim by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) that the targeted #Shajareh_Tayyebeh Elementary School in #Minab was located within a "missile launch facility" is a baseless fabrication and an appalling …
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iran-rejects-us-school-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab after the building was destroyed in a missile strike, May 13, 2026.The Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in southern Iran was hit on February 28, the fir…
https://www.rt.com/news/640250-pentagon-endless-stalling-sch…

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“Archived copies of the school’s official website, however, indicate that the school was adjacent to – not inside – the military compound and separated from it by a fence visible in satellite imagery.”

CORROBORATED

Two sources mention that archived websites and satellite imagery indicate the school was adjacent to, rather than inside, the military compound.

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web search NEUTRAL — According to witness accounts corroborated by satellite-based analyses, the area of the school was hit by multiple strikes. The roof of the school collapsed on students. 156 civilians were killed, inc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Minab_school_attack

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web search NEUTRAL — Archived copies of the school’s official website, however, indicate that the school was adjacent to – not inside – the military compound and separated from it by a fence visible in satellite imagery.
https://www.rt.com/news/640250-pentagon-endless-stalling-sch…

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web search NEUTRAL — The school was also listed on a local business listing website, and satellite images from the months leading up to the strike showed playground markings and other signs indicating the building was fun…
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/us-strike-iran-shajare…

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“Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the US of “cruelty, cynicism, and dehumanization.””

SINGLE SOURCE

While the evidence confirms Maria Zakharova's role and that she held briefings in May 2026, there is no specific quote or report in the provided evidence confirming she accused the US of 'cruelty, cynicism, and dehumanization' regarding this specific event.

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web search NEUTRAL — In 1998, Maria Zakharova graduated from the Faculty of International Journalism at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in the field of orientalism and journalism. Her pre-diploma app…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Zakharova

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web search NEUTRAL — Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, May 7, 2026. Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s telephone conversation with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affa…
https://www.mid.ru/en/

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web search NEUTRAL — Five former US officials, including a former top military lawyer, have criticised the Pentagon for not acknowledging potential American involvement in a deadly strike on an Iranian school earlier this…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy2482pn0lo

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“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed solidarity with the victims of the “massacre.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for statements by Giorgia Meloni or Pedro Sanchez regarding this event.

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“While active fighting paused under a fragile April ceasefire, US-Iran negotiations on a broader peace deal remain deadlocked.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for an April ceasefire or current deadlock in US-Iran peace negotiations.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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Pentagon refuses to admit responsibility for deadly Iran school strike

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