Remember these criminals: Iran names US officers behind deadly Minab school strike
Iran has named two US Navy officers, released their images, and accused them of ordering missile strikes on a girls' school in Minab earlier this month which resulted in over 175 deaths.
Iran has publicly identified two US Navy officers it holds responsible for a missile strike on a school in Minab that killed around 175 people, intensifying its accusations against Washington.
The Iranian embassy in India, South Africa and Nigeria on Sunday released images of the officers and named them as Leigh R Tate, commanding officer, and Jeffrey E York, executive officer of the USS Spruance. In a post on X, the embassy alleged that the two officers authorised the launch of Tomahawk missiles on three occasions, leading to the deadly strike on February 28.
"Remember these two criminals. Leigh R Tate, the commander, and Jeffrey E York, the executive officer of the USS Spruance, who ordered the launch of Tomahawk missiles three times, killing 168 innocent children at a school in Minab," the Iranian Embassy in India said in a post on X.
Even the Iranian Embassy in South Africa shared a similar post on X questioning whether the two US officers had children of their own.
"Remember these two criminals. Leigh R. Tate, the commander, and Jeffrey E. York, the executive officer of the USS Spruance, who ordered the launch of Tomahawk missiles three times, killing 168 innocent children at a school in Minab. Don’t they have children of their own?" it wrote.
Similarly, the country's Embassy in Nigeria wondered how these two US officers sleep at night.
"Remember these two criminals: Leigh R. Tate and Jeffrey E. York. By ordering the launch of three Tomahawk missiles, they slaughtered 168 innocent schoolchildren in Minab. Do they have children of their own? Can they look them in the eyes? How do they sleep at night with this," it said.
Speaking during an urgent debate in Geneva recently, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls' School as a "calculated, phased assault" carried out on the first day of the conflict. He claimed more than 175 students and teachers were killed in what he termed a deliberate attack.
A US military investigation, however, has pointed to a possible error. According to a report by The New York Times, preliminary findings suggested the strike may have resulted from outdated intelligence data used to determine the target coordinates.
The missile was reportedly intended for an Iranian military facility located next to the elementary school, which was previously part of the same complex. Officials indicated that incorrect or outdated mapping data may have led to the school being struck instead.
US military authorities have cautioned that the investigation is ongoing and that key questions remain, including why the intelligence inputs were not verified before the strike.
Washington has maintained that it does not target civilian infrastructure and is reviewing the incident. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has alleged that Iran could have been responsible for the strike, claiming Tehran's munitions are often inaccurate.
In response, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei shared video footage of the attack on social media, accusing the United States of committing a war crime.
The February 28 strike on Minab came as US and Israeli forces carried out attacks on Iran, setting off a wider regional conflict that has since spread across the Middle East. In response, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and targets across Gulf states, further escalating tensions and deepening the crisis.
Iran has publicly identified two US Navy officers it holds responsible for a missile strike on a school in Minab that killed around 175 people, intensifying its accusations against Washington.
The Iranian embassy in India, South Africa and Nigeria on Sunday released images of the officers and named them as Leigh R Tate, commanding officer, and Jeffrey E York, executive officer of the USS Spruance. In a post on X, the embassy alleged that the two officers authorised the launch of Tomahawk missiles on three occasions, leading to the deadly strike on February 28.
"Remember these two criminals. Leigh R Tate, the commander, and Jeffrey E York, the executive officer of the USS Spruance, who ordered the launch of Tomahawk missiles three times, killing 168 innocent children at a school in Minab," the Iranian Embassy in India said in a post on X.
Even the Iranian Embassy in South Africa shared a similar post on X questioning whether the two US officers had children of their own.
"Remember these two criminals. Leigh R. Tate, the commander, and Jeffrey E. York, the executive officer of the USS Spruance, who ordered the launch of Tomahawk missiles three times, killing 168 innocent children at a school in Minab. Don’t they have children of their own?" it wrote.
Similarly, the country's Embassy in Nigeria wondered how these two US officers sleep at night.
"Remember these two criminals: Leigh R. Tate and Jeffrey E. York. By ordering the launch of three Tomahawk missiles, they slaughtered 168 innocent schoolchildren in Minab. Do they have children of their own? Can they look them in the eyes? How do they sleep at night with this," it said.
Speaking during an urgent debate in Geneva recently, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls' School as a "calculated, phased assault" carried out on the first day of the conflict. He claimed more than 175 students and teachers were killed in what he termed a deliberate attack.
A US military investigation, however, has pointed to a possible error. According to a report by The New York Times, preliminary findings suggested the strike may have resulted from outdated intelligence data used to determine the target coordinates.
The missile was reportedly intended for an Iranian military facility located next to the elementary school, which was previously part of the same complex. Officials indicated that incorrect or outdated mapping data may have led to the school being struck instead.
US military authorities have cautioned that the investigation is ongoing and that key questions remain, including why the intelligence inputs were not verified before the strike.
Washington has maintained that it does not target civilian infrastructure and is reviewing the incident. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has alleged that Iran could have been responsible for the strike, claiming Tehran's munitions are often inaccurate.
In response, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei shared video footage of the attack on social media, accusing the United States of committing a war crime.
The February 28 strike on Minab came as US and Israeli forces carried out attacks on Iran, setting off a wider regional conflict that has since spread across the Middle East. In response, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and targets across Gulf states, further escalating tensions and deepening the crisis.
