CNN reports that senior U.S. Army commanders approved strikes in Iran despite internal warnings that some target data were outdated. The warnings were logged in Pentagon targeting databases, but were overridden to expedite target selection at the war’s outset. One strike hit the Shajreh Tayebeh elementary school in Minab, killing at least 168 children and 14 teachers. U.S. officials reportedly acknowledged the role of stale intelligence a few days after the attack, but the Pentagon has not released an official investigation report. Satellite images from 2013 showed the school and a nearby IRGC facility as part of a single complex, while by 2016 they were separated by fences and separate entrances; December 2025 imagery indicates the school was still in use.
Sources say that pressure to identify targets quickly and reduce civilian harm led to reduced oversight of the targeting process.