Missile Fragments From Iranian School Strike Appear To Be US Tomahawk: Report

Last Updated:March 11, 2026, 06:32 IST

Missile fragments from a strike on Shajareh Tayyeba girls' school in Minab, Iran, killing 175, appear to be from a US-made Tomahawk missile.

Missile fragments recovered from a strike that hit a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran where at least 175 students and staff were killed last month appeared to belong to a US-made Tomahawk cruise missile, according to a CNN analysis of images shared by Iranian state media.

Photographs of the debris were published on Telegram by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, which said the fragments were recovered from the February 28 strike on the Shajareh Tayyeba girls’ school in Minab, where Iranian authorities claimed at least 168 children and 14 teachers were killed.

CNN reviewed the images and consulted weapons experts, who said the parts appear consistent with components from a US-made Tomahawk cruise missile, a long-range precision-guided weapon used by the US military. However, the report said it was not possible to independently verify whether the fragments came specifically from the school strike, a nearby strike on an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base, or another location.

One of the fragments shown in the images carrieed the marking “Made in USA" and the name of Globe Motors, an Ohio-based company that manufactures missile components for the US Department of Defense. Another piece beared the label “SDL ANTENNA," referring to a satellite data link antenna used in newer Tomahawk missile variants. The part also carried the name of Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., a Colorado-based company acquired by BAE Systems in 2024.

According to CNN, the markings and design of the fragments are consistent with images of Tomahawk missile parts documented in previous conflicts in open-source weapons databases.

Missile experts cited by the network supported the assessment. Markus Schiller, a rocket expert associated with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, identified one of the parts as a Globe Motors actuator motor, a component that controls the fins used to steer the missile. Trevor Ball, a former US Army explosive ordnance disposal specialist and researcher with Bellingcat, also assessed that the fragments were consistent with a Tomahawk missile, though he said their exact origin could not be confirmed from the images alone.

The findings add to growing scrutiny around the February 28 strike, which hit the school located next to an IRGC naval base in Minab, in Iran’s Hormozgan province. Videos released by Iranian media appear to show a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) striking a building within or near the military complex.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has denied that American forces carried it out and suggested that Iran could possess Tomahawk missiles.

Addressing the query regarding footage that purportedly shows a US Tomahawk missile striking an Iranian military base near a primary school, Trump mentioned he had not seen the video but highlighted that the Tomahawk missile is utilised by several countries.

“Well, I haven’t seen it. I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is sold and used by other countries. Iran has some Tomahawks," Trump said.

However, Republican Senator John Kennedy admitted that the United States struck the girls’ school in Minab amid its missile attack on Iran on February 28 and termed it as a “mistake".

“It was terrible. We made a mistake," Kenny said.

“Other countries do that sort of thing intentionally, like Russia. We would never do that intentionally. I think the Department [of Defense] is investigating it now, and I’m sorry. I’m just so sorry it happened. It was a mistake," the Republican Senator added.

US military investigators reportedly believe American forces were likely responsible for the strike in Minab on the first day of the attack on Iran.

(With inputs from CNN)

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