Denys Davydov | Preliminary results of the internal investigation into the US strike o...

Preliminary results of the internal investigation into the US strike on a school in Mina, Iran: A tragic mistake caused by outdated intelligence and official negligence, - The New York Times. ▪️The internal investigation confirmed that the Tomahawk strike on a girls' school in Mina on the first day of the operation on February 28 was the responsibility of the US, - a number of officials told the publication. ▪️The strike was the result of an intelligence error: the US mistook the school building for part of a IRGC naval base that was being targeted. The school building is located 100 meters from the main base building. ▪️The school building itself had indeed been part of the IRGC naval base. But between 2013 and 2016, the IRGC vacated the building, which was converted into a school and fenced off from the naval base, as seen in satellite images. Watchtowers were removed, the entrance to the premises was opened, and the area was cleared for three sports and playgrounds, with the walls painted blue and pink (see photos above). ▪️The CENTCOM officers who carried out the strike received the coordinates from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), which is responsible for target development, which relied on outdated intelligence. ▪️The investigation so far has not answered the question of why the old data were not re-verified before being passed on to CENTCOM. ▪️Trump's refusal to admit responsibility for the strike complicates the investigation: the people who provided information to The New York Times had to speak on condition of anonymity. ▪️Current and former officials are not surprised by the mistake made. There was recently a scandal with the DIA when the head of the agency, Lieutenant General Jeffrey Cruise, was dismissed in August for questioning the effectiveness of US strikes</b> during the 12-day campaign against Iran in June 2025. ▪️CENTCOM is also obliged to re-verify the data received from the DIA and other agencies. But during rapid events, such as the first days of war, information is not always checked. ▪️The DIA, in turn, were not experts in studying the IRGC naval forces, their priorities were China, North Korea, and Iran's missile program, but not the navy. __ An old story as old as time: some didn't understand, others didn't re-check, and the third doesn't admit responsibility. As the investigation shows, there was no malicious intent in the US actions, which, of course, does not absolve them of responsibility. Thanks for the tip In Factum.