A US military investigation into a deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran is nearing completion, with a top American commander describing the case as “complex” because the school was allegedly located on an active Iranian cruise missile base. The strike, which took place in Minab on February 28 during the opening day of the conflict, reportedly killed more than 175 children and teachers, according to Iranian officials.

Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, told a committee in the US House of Representatives on Tuesday that the investigation was approaching its conclusion and stressed the importance of transparency. Reuters had earlier reported that an initial internal US military review indicated American forces were likely responsible for the strike, although the Pentagon has not publicly confirmed any preliminary findings.

During the hearing, Democratic lawmakers pressed Cooper to acknowledge probable US responsibility for the incident. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said it was “pretty clear” what had happened and criticised the delay in accepting responsibility more than 80 days after the attack. Smith pointed to previous cases where the Pentagon publicly admitted mistakes before investigations were fully completed.

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Cooper, however, argued that the Minab strike differed from earlier incidents. He said the school was situated on an active missile base operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), making the circumstances more complicated than a typical military strike. Archived versions of the school’s website reportedly show the campus adjacent to an IRGC compound linked to cruise missile operations.

Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that US officials involved in preparing targeting packages may have relied on outdated intelligence. Cooper maintained that the US military does not intentionally target civilians and said it would comply with the law of war and “own up to it” if wrongdoing was confirmed by the investigation.

The hearing also widened into a broader discussion on Iran’s actions during the conflict. Cooper alleged that Iranian security forces had killed thousands during anti-government protests earlier this year and claimed Tehran had carried out more than a thousand strikes on civilian areas across the Middle East since the fighting began in February. He further stated that at least 300 civilians had been killed in those attacks, while dozens of executions had reportedly taken place in Iran since the April 8 ceasefire.

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