Was the strike on a primary school in Iran a war crime? | The Global Story

Since an air strike on a primary school in Iran two weeks ago, the Pentagon has faced mounting questions over the possible involvement of the US military.

Iranian officials say the strike killed 168 people, including about 110 children.

US media have reported that US military investigators believe American forces were likely responsible for hitting the school unintentionally at the start of the joint US-Israeli operation – but that they have not reached a final conclusion.

Today, Merlyn Thomas from BBC Verify explains what we know so far about the strike.

And we speak to Oona Hathaway, a professor of international law at Yale University who previously worked at the US Department of Defence, about the potential legal consequences.

We ask the question, was the strike on the primary school a war crime and what could happen to those responsible? And we ask, what does it mean in practice when Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth says things like ‘no stupid rules of engagement’?

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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:29 The primary school strike: what happened?
07:30 What did US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth say about the school strike?
11:30 What has President Trump said about the school strike?
15:00 How does the US military decide on a target?
17:00 Was the strike on the school a war crime?
24:30 What are the potential consequences?