President Donald Trump has for the first time acknowledged that American munitions killed at least 175 schoolgirls and teachers in southern Iran, while insisting the strike was not deliberate and ruling out any punishment for those involved. Speaking at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Wednesday, Trump said “nobody did that on purpose” and that “mistakes are made” in war, a formulation that confirmed US culpability but deflected demands for accountability. The remarks mark a shift from the administration’s initial suggestion that Iran itself bore responsibility for the 28 February attack on a primary school in Minab, on the opening day of a conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

The Pentagon elevated its investigation after an initial internal review indicated US forces were likely behind the strike. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, told Congress the probe was “complex” because the school was situated on an active Iranian cruise missile site, implying the target may have been selected based on intelligence of military activity. Iranian authorities maintain the facility was a functioning girls’ school and that the dead overwhelmingly comprised children. Independent verification of the site’s dual-use status remains impossible, leaving the episode mired in competing narratives.

Viewed from Washington, Trump’s comments reflect a calculated effort to acknowledge an uncomfortable reality without ceding political ground. By framing the strike as an error, he sought to neutralise criticism while pre-empting disciplinary measures. “If it was a mistake, and as you know, it’s under investigation,” he said when asked about accountability. In Tehran, the response is likely fury; state media have condemned the attack as a war crime, and Trump’s refusal to consider sanctions against personnel will be seen as impunity. European diplomats at the G7 privately expressed unease at the civilian toll, though public statements from allies have been muted, reflecting the delicate diplomacy of coalition warfare.

As the investigation proceeds, the incident is poised to become a defining test of the rules of engagement in a war that has blurred lines between conventional and asymmetric conflict. The presence of a school atop a missile site raises profound questions about intelligence and precautions to avoid civilian harm. Trump’s remarks suggest that, whatever the probe concludes, the administration is unlikely to pursue internal accountability, a stance that may embolden critics accusing Washington of double standards in the laws of armed conflict. For the families in Minab, an admission of error without promise of redress risks fuelling long-term grievances in an already volatile region.