Tehran, March 30, 2026 – Iranian authorities have publicly identified two US Navy officers as directly responsible for the missile strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab that killed at least 168 people, mostly children, on February 28, 2026.
The strike occurred on the first day of the ongoing Iran war, when a Tomahawk missile hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ Elementary School in the Shahrak-e Al-Mahdi neighborhood of Minab, southern Iran. Iranian officials claim the attack was part of US-led operations targeting nearby military sites.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry and state media released the names and photographs of Commander Leigh R. Tate and Executive Officer Jeffrey E. York of the USS Spruance. Iranian posts on social media described them as “criminals” who ordered the launch of missiles that struck the school multiple times, calling on the world to “remember these two.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have labeled the incident a war crime, blaming the United States and Israel for the deaths of over 170 civilians, including more than 100 schoolgirls aged 7 to 12.
The US has not officially commented on the naming of the officers. Preliminary Pentagon investigations have reportedly acknowledged American forces were responsible for the strike due to outdated targeting data, describing it as a possible mistake while attacking an adjacent IRGC naval compound.
The Minab school attack remains one of the deadliest single incidents involving civilian casualties since the start of the 2026 Iran conflict. It has sparked international outrage, with the UN Human Rights Council holding an urgent debate on the matter last week.
Iran has demanded accountability and justice for the victims as the war continues to escalate.