CNN: US Ignored Outdated Intelligence in School Attack in Iran

According to CNN's exclusive report, based on three separate sources close to the matter, senior commanders serving in the US military disregarded the fact that intelligence data regarding potential targets in Iran was severely outdated. In correspondence between intelligence units and military officials, there were warnings that targets based on data collected years ago needed to be re-evaluated. However, these warnings were not acted upon, and the targets were not updated. It is reported that military officials realized their mistake after the attack was carried out. One of the sources stated that officials understood how grave a mistake they had made in the days following the attack.

The incident occurred during the initial hours of the war that began with attacks launched by the US and Israel on Iran on 28 Şubat. A girls' primary school in the city of Minab, located in Iran's Hürmüzgan province, was targeted during the initial phase of the war. More than 180 people, 168 of whom were children, lost their lives in the attack. It was determined that the school was struck twice, 40 minutes apart. This situation raised concerns that the attack was carried out intentionally and in a planned manner. The incident, which caused a massive reaction in the region, also drew widespread backlash from the international public.

Brad Cooper, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), identified as responsible for the attack, defended the bombing of the school in his testimony before Congress. Cooper claimed that the school building in question was actually located within an active Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps missile base. However, evidence that the intelligence data was outdated seriously calls the validity of this claim into question. It is stated that members of Congress are investigating the matter in detail and that military officials must be held accountable. The developments have sparked a profound debate in Washington regarding the functioning of the US intelligence apparatus.

According to CNN's report, the information in the database clearly indicated that the attack targets dated back years. The message traffic between the intelligence and military branches contained explicit warnings that the targets needed to be updated. Despite this, it appears the operation's planners did not take these warnings into account. The despair and remorse experienced after the attack were also reflected in the assessments made among senior commanders. Experts emphasize that such intelligence errors dramatically increase civilian casualties and constitute serious crimes under international law.

This incident has once again highlighted the devastating impact of the military dimension of US-Iran tensions on the civilian population. The killing of hundreds of innocent people, including children, sparked widespread outrage in the region and around the world. The role of intelligence failures in operations targeting civilian areas has brought about calls from the international community to revisit US military procedures. The testimonies in Congress may bring new developments to the agenda in the later stages of the process. The clarification of all details behind the incident and the accountability of those responsible continue to be closely monitored issues by the international community.