‘Ready to live with report’, Trump suggests Iran used stolen Tomahawks in deadly Minab school strike as evidence points to US involvement

President Donald Trump suggested that Iran may have used stolen Tomahawk cruise missiles to strike the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28, killing over 160 people, including many children.

Trump faced a question from a reporter over his claim that Iran may have used stolen Tomahawk missiles in the deadly Minab school strike.

The reporter asked, “You just suggested that Iran somehow got its hands on a Tomahawk and bombed its own elementary school on the first day of the war. Even your Defense Secretary wouldn't say that when he was asked, standing over your shoulder on your plane on Saturday.”


When asked why he was the only official from his government making this assertion, Trump replied:

"I just don't know enough about it. I think it's something that I was told is under investigation. But tomahawks are used by others, as you know. Numerous other nations have tomahawks. They buy them from us. But I will certainly, whatever the report shows, I'm willing to live with that report."


The dispute over the Minab school explosion stems from its occurrence on the first day of wide‑ranging military operations in Iran, with Tehran blaming the United States and Israel for the blast and Washington rejecting those claims while saying a formal investigation is underway.

According to the Hill website, the Tomahawk missile, produced by Raytheon Technologies, is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile first used in combat during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Analysts note that the US military is the only known force currently engaged in the conflict with Iran capable of deploying the weapon.

Former Pentagon and CIA chief Leon Panetta criticized Trump’s comments, emphasizing the importance of transparency in wartime according to the Hill website.

“I believe that it would be far better, because you’re dealing with a number of issues here. You’re dealing with a number of challenges, if you just simply lie about some mistakes that are being made that will come back to undermine your leadership,” Panetta said. “And so the president needs to learn the lessons of war, and obviously he’s not.”

The US and Israeli strikes on Iran have sparked a multi‑front conflict across the Middle East, drawing in several regional states.