Despite the U.S. military’s wielding of cutting-edge technology, the tragic targeting of a school in Iran on February 28 is a stark reminder of just how catastrophic outdated data and basic human error can be during times of war.
According to the New York Times, an ongoing military investigation has determined that the deadly Tomahawk missile strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Iran, was likely caused by a U.S. targeting mistake.
Citing U.S. officials and individuals familiar with the preliminary findings, the Times reports that the strike resulted from outdated data used by U.S. Central Command to generate target coordinates.
The U.S. military’s integration of artificial intelligence (AI) models such as Anthropic’s Claude AI did not directly influence the school’s targeting, officials say.
At Least 175 Dead
Iranian officials confirmed at least 175 deaths from the school strike, most of whom were children.
The school had been part of a military complex that housed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Navy. By the time of the attack, it had been repurposed roughly a decade ago.
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) provided the coordinates for the strike, but it appears that the data used was not updated to reflect the school’s current use.
AI In Combat Operations
U.S. Central Command reportedly used Claude AI during the Trump administration’s major air operation against Iran, just hours after the president ordered federal agencies to stop using the company’s technology.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the ban was announced just hours before the military operation was launched on February 28. Claude was used by the U.S. Central Command in the Middle East for intelligence assessments.
And while the new technology may assist in identifying targets, the current investigation points to human error and outdated intelligence data as the primary causes of the incident, not AI.
The Times reviewed satellite imagery, social media posts, and verified videos to corroborate the school’s destruction. President Donald Trump, from Air Force One on Saturday, deflected blame for the attack, despite mounting evidence.
When asked about the preliminary report on Wednesday, March 11, Trump said: “I don’t know about that.”
What’s Next
The investigation is still ongoing. U.S. officials are examining the involvement of other intelligence agencies, such as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
The incident has raised questions about the efficacy of U.S. intelligence and why the military was using outdated information during a missile launch.
So far, the U.S. and Israel have bombed nearly 10,000 civilian sites, including the school, according to Iran’s U.N. Ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani. Over 1,300 civilians have died since the war’s start 11 days ago, Iravani alleged. He claimed that the strikes intentionally targeted nonmilitary infrastructure, including residential homes and critical civilian sites, calling it a “horrific crime.”
The U.S. is now expanding its military efforts in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, destroying multiple Iranian naval vessels, including 16 mine-laying ships.
The Pentagon reported more than 5,000 U.S. strikes since February 28, amid a significant decline in daily tanker traffic, as the war continues to disrupt global oil trade.
Image: Shutterstock
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