News Desk
WASHINGTON: A senior US military commander has said that a girls’ school in the Iranian city of Minab was located on or near an active cruise missile facility, though he cautioned that an ongoing investigation into a reported explosion at the site remained complex and inconclusive.
Speaking before the US Senate Committee on Armed Services, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, said the incident was being examined as part of wider assessments of regional military activity. He noted that while initial indicators suggested the presence of an operational missile-related site in the area, firm conclusions had yet to be reached.
Cooper alleged that the school was situated within a zone associated with a cruise missile base, but did not present publicly available evidence during the hearing. He told lawmakers that the investigation into the explosion required further technical analysis, including intelligence verification and site assessments, before any definitive determination could be made.
The remarks were made during a routine congressional oversight session in which senior US military officials brief members of the Senate on security developments across the Middle East and wider operational theatres. Such hearings often include updates on contested intelligence, emerging threats and regional military infrastructure.
The claims come at a time of heightened tensions involving Iran, where military installations and dual-use infrastructure have frequently been the subject of competing narratives between Washington and Tehran. Iranian authorities have consistently rejected accusations of covert weapons development in civilian areas, while US officials have periodically raised concerns about the proximity of military assets to populated zones.
