Initial results point to a “human” error, not an AI mistake, for depending on obsolete targeting information
A continuing military investigation has preliminarily attributed responsibility to the United States for a lethal Tomahawk missile attack on an Iranian elementary school that resulted in at least 175 fatalities, the majority of whom were children, according to a New York Times report.
The February 28 attack on the Shajarah Tayyebeh girls’ school occurred on the initial day of a joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran, which led to the deaths of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several high-ranking Iranian commanders, and hundreds of civilians. This incident stands as the single most lethal strike in the continuing operation to date.
Per the NYT’s Wednesday report, which cited US military officials briefed on the early findings, the strike was a component of the first wave of US assaults on facilities utilized by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy in the region.
Investigators suspect that personnel at US Central Command used outdated targeting intelligence from the Defense Intelligence Agency that continued to list the school building as part of a military complex, despite its conversion into a school more than ten years prior. The location displayed obvious indicators of civilian purpose, such as a sports field, children’s murals, and vividly colored walls.
Early inquiries into the failure to re-verify the obsolete data suggest it is “unlikely” that new artificial intelligence systems like Anthropic’s Claude were the main reason, the newspaper stated.
The NYT noted, quoting investigators, that military targeting usually engages numerous intelligence and operational bodies, with multiple tiers of assessment designed to validate each target. These protective measures can fail during the opening phase of a conflict when a high volume of targets must be handled quickly.
Inquiries conducted by the AP, CNN, and the Washington Post have similarly determined that the US was probably responsible for the attack. A visual examination referenced by the NYT, incorporating satellite photos and footage from the location, shows the explosion was characteristic of a Tomahawk missile strike.
President Donald Trump has refuted US accountability and provided inconsistent accounts, initially proposing that “very inaccurate” Iranian weapons were the cause, then asserting without proof that Tehran also “has some Tomahawks.” The United States is the sole participant in the conflict known to own such armaments. US authorities have acknowledged deploying Tomahawks – which can travel up to 1,600km – in attacks on Iran.
The strike has provoked severe international criticism. The United Nations characterized the bombing as “a grave assault on children, on education, and on the future of an entire community.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry declared it “resolutely condemns” the attack, and UNESCO labeled it “a grave violation” of international humanitarian law. The UN human rights office has called for a comprehensive investigation.