Tomahawk Missile Video Appears to Show Strike Beside Iranian Girls’ School
tomahawk missile is at the center of a newly surfaced eyewitness video that appears to show a U. S. -made weapon striking a building in Iran next to a girls’ school. The video emerged as President Donald Trump’s administration continues what Trump described as “major combat operations” against Iran, announced on Feb. 28 (ET). The clip is drawing urgent scrutiny because local officials linked to the school site say 168 people were killed.
Video points to strike on building adjacent to school
The eyewitness video was first posted Sunday morning (ET) by Iran’s Mehr News and then shared online by Trevor Ball, a former U. S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician now working as a researcher with the investigative group Bellingcat. Ball said in a post on X that the video showed a U. S. -made tomahawk missile.
In the same account of events, the video is described as appearing to show a missile hitting a building in Iran adjacent to a girls’ school. Local officials at the site said 168 people were killed. The claim of what the video depicts and the assessment of the weapon type have intensified attention on the proximity of military targets to civilian areas amid the expanding strikes.
Conflict widens as Trump addresses next steps
President Donald Trump announced “major combat operations” against Iran on Feb. 28 (ET), with officials describing massive joint U. S. -Israel strikes targeting military and government sites. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U. S. bases, and multiple Gulf nations, while Israel is intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
In comments published Monday (ET), Trump said he was “nowhere near” a decision on potential ground operations in Iran. “We haven’t made any decision on that. We’re nowhere near it, ” Trump said. He also reiterated he was “not happy” with Iran’s newly selected Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, saying, “Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him. ”
Trump also dismissed concerns about spiking oil prices, saying, “I have a plan for everything, okay? … You’ll be very happy, ” in the same set of remarks.
Immediate reactions: leaders and analysts weigh in
Sen. Marco Rubio, in a separate statement captured in the broader stream of reactions, characterized Iran bluntly: “This is a terroristic regime, ” Rubio said.
Ball, drawing on his experience as a former U. S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician and his current role as a researcher with Bellingcat, publicly identified the weapon seen in the video as a tomahawk missile. The video’s appearance and Ball’s identification are now central reference points as attention focuses on what was struck and how close it was to a school.
Quick context on leadership and maritime security
Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes, and his son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday (ET) to succeed him.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he is working with partners to prepare a “purely defensive” mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by escorting ships once the “most intense phase of the conflict” has passed.
What’s next
The newly surfaced video and the claim that it shows a tomahawk missile strike beside a girls’ school are likely to keep pressure on officials and analysts to clarify what was targeted and how civilian risks are being weighed as combat operations continue. With Iran’s leadership transition underway and maritime security planning described by Macron moving forward, the next hours and days (ET) are expected to bring further official statements on military operations, escalation risks, and the safety of key shipping routes.
