A Pentagon investigation into a U.S. strike that hit a school in Iran has stalled for months, with military leaders declining to order a key intelligence review normally conducted after significant military operations, sources familiar with the matter said.

The strike on the Shajareh Tayyiba school in Minab prompted the first two stages of a standard battle damage assessment (BDA), which confirmed that the intended target had been struck. However, officials never initiated the third phase—a comprehensive intelligence review typically led by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) that examines satellite imagery and other intelligence to assess the broader impact of an operation, CNN reports.

Sources told CNN that the review, usually launched immediately after major strikes, had still not begun by early July. Instead, the Pentagon relied on an independent investigation announced in March. Interviews with personnel involved in the strike were conducted, but the findings have reportedly been tightly restricted.

"There was no detailed analysis conducted and CENTCOM locked down the investigation/blocked anyone from looking into it," one source said.

A Defense Department official confirmed only that "the investigation is ongoing," adding: "We have nothing further to announce at this moment."

Iranian state media said the strike killed 168 children and 14 adults. Sources told CNN that evidence quickly emerged indicating the attack may have resulted from outdated intelligence that mistakenly identified the school as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval facility.

According to the report, senior commanders also bypassed database warnings that intelligence on Iranian targets was outdated, opting to proceed for "expediency" in the early stages of the conflict.

The delay has drawn criticism from U.S. lawmakers. In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper, Democratic senators wrote: "There is no justification for withholding an unclassified accounting of what happened, what went wrong, and what the Department is doing to prevent recurrence."

Asked whether he would release the investigation's findings, President Donald Trump said: "I'll have to speak to the generals... I don't think anybody is ever going to be able to say what happened there." He added, "I don't think there can be a conclusive report," while acknowledging it was "possible" that outdated intelligence or operational mistakes contributed to the incident.

By Vafa Guliyeva

Source: caliber.az