Fragments of the missile were displayed on a table near the ruins of Shajarah Tayyebeh primary school in Minab district, Hormozgan province, southern Iran, on 9/3. The New York Times reported that the debris appears to be components of a US-made Tomahawk cruise missile, manufactured after 2014.

One fragment clearly showed the inscription "SDL ANTENNA" (satellite data link antenna), a component of the communication system found in the latest US Tomahawk variants. Its identification number suggests the component was supplied to the US military under a 2014 order.

Missile fragments displayed near the ruins of the school in Minab district, Hormozgan province, southern Iran on 9/3. Photo: IRIB

The component bore the name Ball Aerospace Technologies, a Colorado-based weapons manufacturer acquired by BAE Systems in 2024.

Another piece of debris bore the inscription "Made in US" and the name Globe Motors, an Ohio-based manufacturer. Public data on US government spending shows that the Pentagon awarded this company contracts worth millions of USD for components, including drive motors that control Tomahawk missile fins.

The characteristics of the parts displayed by Iran match fragments recovered from previous US Tomahawk missile attacks in conflicts like those in Yemen and Syria.

Fragment with "Globe Motors" and "made in US" inscriptions. Photo: IRIB

Trevor Ball, a former US Army explosive ordnance disposal expert now associated with the Bellingcat research group, confirmed that the components are consistent with a Tomahawk missile.

US officials have yet to comment on these claims.

The Shajarah Tayyebeh primary school for girls in Hormozgan province was reportedly hit during the initial strikes of a US-Israel campaign on 28/2, resulting in at least 175 fatalities. Iran has accused the US of deliberately targeting the school. However, on 7/3, President Donald Trump attributed responsibility to Tehran.

A video released by Iran's Mehr News agency on 8/3, and subsequently geolocated by Bellingcat, suggests the missile's intended target was an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base located near the school.

During a press conference in Florida on 9/3, President Trump asserted that Iran "also possesses some Tomahawk missiles" and did not dismiss the possibility of Tehran being responsible for the attack on the girls' school. He offered no evidence to support this claim.

Close-up of the remaining fragments. Photo: IRIB

Tomahawk cruise missiles, manufactured by defense contractor Raytheon, are sold by the US to allies such as Japan, Australia, the UK, and the Netherlands. Publicly available data confirms that neither Iran nor Israel possesses this weapon system.

US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, last week released a video showing its warships launching multiple Tomahawk missiles on 28/2. This launch occurred concurrently with the attack on the IRGC base and the Iranian girls' school.

Numerous international news agencies last week reported the US was likely responsible for the attack, citing satellite imagery, geolocated videos, and expert analyses.

Huyen Le (According to New York Times, AFP, IRIB)