New Footage Links School Strike to US Airstrike on IRGC Base in Iran
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Washington, March 9 (NationPress) A recently released video appears to depict a US airstrike on a structure at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval facility located in Minab, Iran. This site is in close proximity to an elementary school, where Iranian state media reports that over 160 students lost their lives on February 28.
The footage, shared by the semi-official Iranian news outlet Mehr News, is the first of its kind to capture missiles hitting the area. It contributes to an expanding pool of evidence that seemingly contradicts recent assertions made by US President Donald Trump, who has placed blame on Iran, as per a report from Xinhua news agency citing CNN.
In the filmed footage, recorded from a nearby construction site, a munition consistent with a US Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is visible before it strikes a target within the IRGC base. This report highlights that Israel does not utilize the Tomahawk missile.
According to Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, the munition observed in the video corresponds with the features of a Tomahawk missile.
"Firstly, it matches the visual characteristics of a TLAM, showcasing a cruciform shape with centrally mounted wings and a tailkit at its rear. Secondly, the video was taken approximately 250 meters from the likely impact site, indicating a larger munition size. This eliminates other weapons in the US arsenal with similar visual traits, like the GBU-69B," Lair noted.
"The geolocated footage illustrates a cruise missile striking one of the central buildings at the base," Lair stated, adding that while the video does not capture the moment of impact on the school, it "was likely part of the same strike and would have been accompanied by other similar cruise missiles."
Other weaponry experts consulted by CNN concurred with this evaluation, as reported by the media outlet.
On Saturday, Trump blamed Iran for the Minab school strike, despite analyses from CNN and numerous other news organizations.
Iran has held the United States responsible for the Minab school strike, according to reports from Iranian state media.
Since the initiation of US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28, at least 1,332 Iranian civilians, including women and children, have been reported dead, with thousands more injured, as stated by Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani on Friday.