When the U.S. and Israel launched a series of air strikes on Iran last weekend, the target was key infrastructure and top officials in Iran’s political and religious hierarchy — including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed along with several members of his family. But tragically, during the early hours of “Operation Epic Fury,” an elementary school in southern Iran was struck by a missile, killing nearly 200 people, many of whom were children. U.S. officials have said the incident is being investigated as questions continue to mount about who was responsible for the bombing and whether it was intentional. Here’s what we know so far.

On Saturday, March 28, reports emerged that the Shajareh Tayyebeh, an all-girls school in Minab, had been leveled by a missile strike early that morning. Videos and images reviewed by the New York Times showed the chaotic aftermath of the strike as families worked alongside emergency workers to search the rubble of the destroyed building for survivors. According to the Times, the school was adjacent to an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps naval base. Satellite images show the building was previously connected to the military facility but was later walled off.

A report from the Guardian describes some of the images that have emerged from the attack:

Photographs and verified videos from the site, which the Guardian has not published due to their graphic nature, show children’s bodies lying partly buried under the debris. In one video, a very small child’s severed arm is pulled from the rubble. Colourful backpacks covered with blood and concrete dust sit among the ruins. One girl wears a green dress with gingham patches on her pockets and the collar, her form partly obscured by a black body bag. Screams can be heard in the background.

Photographs and verified videos from the site, which the Guardian has not published due to their graphic nature, show children’s bodies lying partly buried under the debris. In one video, a very small child’s severed arm is pulled from the rubble. Colourful backpacks covered with blood and concrete dust sit among the ruins. One girl wears a green dress with gingham patches on her pockets and the collar, her form partly obscured by a black body bag. Screams can be heard in the background.

An analysis from the BBC said satellite imagery showed extensive damage to the school building and the nearby base, as well as scorch marks, which potentially indicates that the site was hit multiple times.

. Where does the current death toll stand?

In the days since the attack, the death toll has steadily risen, with Iranian officials reporting that at least 175 people have been killed, many of them children.

UNESCO, the United Nations’ educational and cultural agency, condemned the killing in a statement issued Sunday. “The killing of pupils in a place dedicated to learning constitutes a grave violation of the protection afforded to schools under international humanitarian law,” it read.

. Who was responsible?

On Thursday, the New York Times published an analysis of satellite imagery and verified video, concluding that the strike on the school occurred during an attack on the neighboring IRGC base and was most likely carried out by the United States, which was conducting strikes on military targets in that region.

This conclusion has been supported by a report from Reuters that found that U.S investigators believe it’s likely that the American military was responsible for the school strike, citing two U.S. officials. The officials told Reuters that the investigation was not complete and indicated that it was possible that additional evidence could be discovered that placed the blame on an entity besides the United States.

Neither the United States nor Israel has claimed responsibility for the strike.

. What have U.S. officials said?

On Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was asked at a press briefing what the Pentagon knows about the air strike that hit the girls’ school last Saturday. “All I can say is that we’re investigating that. We, of course, never target civilian targets. But we’re taking a look and investigating that,” he said.

When asked about the strike on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred reporters to the Department of Defense. “The Department of War would be investigating that if that was our strike,” he said. “The United States would not deliberately target a school. Our objectives are missiles — both the ability to manufacture them and the ability to launch them — and the one-way attack drones. That would be our focus. That’s what we would be focused on. We would have no interest and, frankly, no incentive, to target civilian infrastructure.”

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