'Trump lying': Top military officials tear apart president's take on Iran school massacre

The U.S. military disputed President Donald Trump's claims about an airstrike that killed at least 175 people at an Iranian elementary school.

Three current and former defense officials, and even Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, pushed back on the president's claim that Iran had launched the attack on the Shajarah Tayyebeh school in Minab that left scores of children dead, reported The Intercept.

“This is another instance of Trump lying and just talking out of his a--,” said a U.S. government official who reviewed satellite images of the school. “This clearly was not a failed rocket from the IRGC base.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operated a navy base adjacent to the school, and social media accounts that support the restoration of Iran's monarchy pushed false claims about the attack that Trump then repeated.

“Based on what I’ve seen, it was done by Iran,” Trump said.

Hegseth stopped short of agreeing with the president, saying "we're certainly investigating." But U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said that commenting before an investigation was complete was improper.

“It would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation," said a CENTCOM spokesperson.

An expert examined video of the attack showing a cruise missile striking the naval base near the elementary school, which was already on fire, and he said the U.S. was clearly at fault and likely misidentified the target.

“This munition is only employed by the U.S., not Israel or Iran,” said Wes Bryant, a former Special Operations joint terminal attack controller who called in thousands of strikes across the Middle East. “The strikes on this compound have the signature of a U.S. strike. The strikes on this compound are also incredibly precise and well-placed. This entire compound — including the girls’ school — was deliberately targeted in a highly precise strike operation.”

Another former Pentagon official agreed with Bryant and the current U.S. official.

“The entry holes suggest a near perpendicular entry. Meaning, this strike was precisely targeting the structures from high above, not some short range attack with a ballistic missile,” said the former Pentagon official, who specialized in civilian harm issues. “All evidence points to the compound being repeatedly attacked — over the course of a couple hours potentially — with highly accurate munitions that we know the U.S. and Israel routinely use and have used in strikes across Iran.”