US Ambassador Mike Waltz Calls School Bombing in Iran a Tragic Mistake
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz has issued an official statement regarding the deadly bombing incident that destroyed a girls’ primary school in southern Iran. Waltz described the incident as a tragic mistake that can occur in the dynamics of military operations.
The statement comes amid global tensions following combined air strikes conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran in late February 2026. Whilst acknowledging that a fatal incident occurred, Waltz avoided specifically naming which party was responsible for the missile launch.
Waltz also responded to an in-depth investigation conducted by the New York Times, which reported that Washington bears direct responsibility for the attack that destroyed the educational facility in Hormozgan Province.
In response to these findings, Waltz did not provide an explicit denial. Instead, he adopted a diplomatic approach, stating that he would leave the matter of establishing proof and determining responsibility entirely to the investigation team currently working on the case.
The incident struck a girls’ primary school located in Minab, southern Iran. The missile attack occurred on the first day of the joint US-Israel military operation against Iran on 28 February 2026.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reported deeply devastating consequences from the attack. According to official Tehran figures, 171 students at the primary school were killed. Iran accused the US and Israel alliance of conducting the assault.
However, the narrative from the US diplomat at the UN appears to contradict statements issued by US President Donald Trump. On Saturday, 7 March 2026, Trump actually turned the accusation around on Tehran.
President Trump claimed that based on monitoring he conducted, the explosion at the girls’ primary school was carried out by Iran itself. This discrepancy between the statements of the UN Ambassador and the US President has fuelled speculation about the clarity of the chain of command and intelligence information within Washington’s government regarding the Middle East conflict.
As of the time this report was filed, the situation in Hormozgan Province remained tense. The international community has urged an independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of hundreds of students.