Former US officials criticise Pentagon silence on deadly Iran school attack. #IranWar #BBCNews
A US-Israeli missile strike on an Iranian primary school on February 28th killed 168 people, including approximately 110 children. Two months later, the Pentagon has only stated the incident is 'under investigation,' prompting criticism from former US officials who call the continued silence unacceptable and a departure from standard response protocols.
Summary
On February 28th, at the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, a missile struck a primary school in Iran, killing 168 people according to Iranian officials, including approximately 110 children. The attack on the school, which affected children including a student named Manab, has remained largely unaddressed by US authorities.
The Pentagon's only public response has been a brief statement acknowledging an investigation is underway, with a spokesperson saying they 'never target civilian targets' while confirming they are 'taking a look' at the incident. No further details or findings have been made public in the two months since the strike.
Former US officials have begun speaking out against this silence. A former senior military legal adviser described the lack of answers as 'strikingly departing from the standard response,' while another former defense official called the continued silence 'unacceptable.' US media outlets reported last month that an American missile likely caused the strike, allegedly due to the use of outdated intelligence. Meanwhile, the families of victims, including the parents of Manab, continue to receive no answers, compounding their grief and trauma.
Key Insights
- Iranian officials reported that a missile strike on a primary school on February 28th killed 168 people, including approximately 110 children, at the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
- The Pentagon's only public statement two months after the strike was that the incident is 'under investigation,' with a spokesperson claiming the US 'never targets civilian targets.'
- A former senior military legal adviser argued that the Pentagon's lack of answers 'strikingly departs from the standard response' expected in such incidents.
- A former defense official stated that the continued Pentagon silence two months after the school strike was 'unacceptable.'
- US media reported that an American missile likely caused the school strike due to the use of old intelligence, though the Pentagon has not confirmed or elaborated on this finding.
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] This was the 28th of February when a missile hit a primary school, killing, say, Iranian officials, 168 people, including around 110 children. It was at the start of the USIsraeli war on Iran. Since then, the Pentagon has said only it's under investigation. >> All I know, all I can say is that we're investigating that. Um, we of course never target uh civilian targets, but we're we're taking a look at investigating that. Now, two months on, several former US officials are criticizing the lack of detail from the Pentagon about what they do or don't [0:31] know. One of them, a former senior military legal adviser, told me the lack of answers strikingly departs from the…
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