The US military relied heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) prior to an attack on a primary school in the Iranian city of Minab. AI-generated data was used alongside flawed intelligence and outdated satellite imagery. Based on this information, two Tomahawk missiles were fired at the Shajareh Tayyebah Primary School on February 28, resulting in the deaths of 123 children.
These details emerged from an internal Pentagon investigation.
Citing officials involved in the investigation, Bloomberg reported that within hours of the strike, some Pentagon officials realized the US had carried out the attack.
The investigation revealed that the Trump administration had ordered massive airstrikes at the onset of the US-Iran conflict, leaving military officials with limited time to finalize targets. The US struck over 1,000 targets within the first 24 hours of the war.
The situation was further complicated by a shortage of personnel dedicated to civilian protection and a lack of adequate information regarding the strike location. Officials involved in the probe stated that these factors contributed to the selection of the wrong target.
The school had previously been part of a military facility but was later separated by a wall and was operating openly as a school at the time.
The investigation further noted that some officials at US Central Command (CENTCOM) relied excessively on Palantir’s “Maven Smart System,” expecting the system to identify outdated or inconsistent intelligence.
Palantir, however, stated that it was not responsible for the underlying data used, nor was its software designed to detect deficiencies in intelligence. No evidence was found to suggest the software was responsible for the strike.
Meanwhile, a UN-backed fact-finding mission has stated there are reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes were committed during two US airstrikes in Iran in February. In a report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the mission stated that indiscriminate attacks were carried out despite the knowledge that they could result in civilian deaths, injuries, or damage to civilian infrastructure. Consequently, the report notes that there are reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed war crimes.
