123 Children Lost: How Outdated Maps and AI Errors Sent US Bombs to an Iranian School

They have the pictures to prove what happened. Satellite images show walls and entrances separating the school from the military area. If you look at images from 2018 you see a playground. You see a football field and other signs that children were using the site. However, the main US military database did not update with this reality. It stuck to the old file. This meant the people planning the strike were working with a picture of the past that did not match the present.

There were warning signs that were ignored. One US intelligence analyst reportedly noticed changes at the site as early as 2019. They recorded this information. They saved it in a separate system. It never reached the main database used for targeting. This is how a target slips through the cracks. The analyst saw the change. The system did not see it until it was too late.

The investigation also looked at the specific satellite images used before the launch. Reports say the imagery was about seven years old. It did not show the school that was operating at the location. It showed a scene from the past. This meant officials were operating with an outdated view of the terrain. They were looking at a ghost of the place that actually stood there.

Before a missile is fired a military target goes through a process. It is often called the kill chain. Intelligence officers study the target. Satellite experts examine images. Targeting teams assess the location. Lawyers check whether the target is legally allowed to be attacked. Senior commanders review the information before giving approval. Around three dozen people were involved at different stages of the process before the Minab strike. Despite all these checks the location was still treated as an IRGC facility.

The US military was also using an artificial intelligence system to help process information about possible targets. They call it the Maven Smart System. Palantir Technologies makes it. This system combines information from different sources. It helps military officials study and manage targets. Palantir has said they were not responsible for the underlying intelligence and that there is no evidence their software caused the Minab strike.

The pressure to act fast was real. Work that could normally take weeks or months was completed in just a few days. More than 1000 targets were hit in the first 24 hours. Another issue raised by the investigation is the reduction in staff. The Pentagon cut about 90 percent of the staff working in civilian protection teams. This left fewer than 20 people. These teams are responsible for checking areas around military targets for schools hospitals homes and other civilian locations.

The United States does not target civilians. That is what the Pentagon told the outlet. They also said the incident remains under investigation. However the tone from the top was different. Hegseth told a press conference on March 2. Days after the Minab attack he spoke about the campaign. He said America is unleashing the most lethal and precise air power campaign in history. He spoke of acting on their own terms with maximum authorities.

This is the story of Minab and Shajarah Tayyebeh Elementary School. It is a story of how data errors and a rush to strike led to the loss of 123 children. It is a reminder that when you are dealing with war the smallest mistake can have the biggest cost.

First reported by Cnbctv18.