Sources say that US Central Command (CENTCOM) did not engage in the standard review process for the strikes on a school in Iran that killed 168 children.
According to officials speaking with CNN, the strikes on the Shajareh Tayyiba school in Minab only underwent part of the standard review process. The Department of War conducted an after-battle assessment of the strikes, which is limited to checking if the intended target was hit and destroyed.
A separate inquiry was launched, and interviews were conducted with the soldiers involved in the attack. However, the Pentagon halted the investigation before it could conduct a holistic assessment of the strikes.
“There was no detailed analysis conducted and CENTCOM locked down the investigation/blocked anyone from looking into it,” a source explained to CNN. The Department of War told CNN the investigation was ongoing.
Shajareh Tayyiba School was near an Iranian military base, but separated by a fence. CNN previously reported that the school was targeted because the military was using outdated information.
The 168 children killed in the strikes have become a rallying point for the Iranian people. Iranian government officials and the country’s soccer team have featured the “168” number.
