Donald Trump’s attempt to blame Iran for the deadly strike on an elementary school stemmed from an early US intelligence assessment that initially suggested the missile was Iranian but was almost immediately dismissed, according to two people familiar with the matter. It was not clear when Trump was briefed about the updated intelligence findings but former intelligence officials faulted both Trump and the briefers. The school, located in the town of Minab, was on the same block as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy base. Those lists can be adjusted to prioritize different metrics, such as distance to the target or the probability of destruction. For the opening phase of the Iran war, the list of potential targets ran into the thousands.

Source: The Guardian March 18, 2026 11:30 UTC