Trump on Iran School Airstrike Tragedy: "Everyone Makes Mistakes"

Regarding the U.S. military airstrike on an Iranian girls' school that occurred on the first day of the war in Iran this past February, U.S. President Donald Trump stated, "Everyone makes mistakes," adding that "nobody did that on purpose."

According to The New York Times (NYT) and Reuters, when asked about U.S. responsibility for the February elementary school airstrike during a press conference following the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, on June 18 (local time), President Trump said, "That is being investigated," and added, "Everyone makes mistakes. War is a nasty business."

President Trump further noted that the Department of Defense is investigating the matter, and when asked whether the findings would be made public, he directed the question to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

On February 28, the first day of the war in Iran, a girls' elementary school in the Minab region of Iran was hit by a U.S. airstrike, resulting in the deaths of at least 175 people, including students and teachers.

Following intense international condemnation, the U.S. military launched an internal investigation. Reports emerged suggesting the strike was a misfire caused by a targeting error while aiming at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base located near the school.

Last month, General Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, testified before the U.S. Congress that the girls' school was located within an active Iranian cruise missile base, describing the investigation as a "complex situation."

Regarding President Trump's remarks on this day, the NYT assessed that his comments were the closest the administration has come to acknowledging U.S. responsibility for the airstrike.

Until now, the Trump administration had officially denied that the U.S. was the party responsible for the attack, with the President previously claiming that the airstrike was "something Iran did."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.