According to the BBC’s partner CBS News and other US outlets, a preliminary assessment of the incident by American officials suggests that the US was “likely” to have been responsible, but that it did not intentionally target the school and may have hit the site in error.
This may have been because the intelligence used by the US was outdated and wrongly identified the area as still being a military site, according to a person briefed on the preliminary assessment who spoke to CBS.
Trump has previously said, without citing evidence, that he believed Iran had carried out the bombing.
Pressed by reporters about the issue again on Tuesday, he said: “I just don’t know enough about it.” Referring to the military investigation that was under way, he added: “Whatever the report shows, I’m willing to live with that report.”
Expert video analysis has shown that an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military base next to the school was hit by a Tomahawk missile – a type of US cruise missile that neither Israel nor Iran are known to possess.
A video published recently by Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency – which was confirmed by BBC Verify to be authentic – showed a missile in the moments before it struck the base.
Experts who saw the video said the presence of a Tomahawk missile, along with evidence the area was hit with multiple strikes, indicated that it was a US operation.
Iran has blamed the US and Israel for the attack.
Israel says it was not aware of any operations in the area. Speaking recently to the Washington Post, two Israeli officials said the targeting was not discussed with the Israeli military.