Iran has publicly identified two US Navy officers it holds responsible for a missile strike on a school in Minab that killed around 175 people, intensifying its accusations against Washington. The Iranian embassy in India, South Africa, and Nigeria released images of the officers and named them as Leigh R Tate, commanding officer, and Jeffrey E York, executive officer of the USS Spruance. In a post on X, the embassy alleged that the two officers authorized the launch of Tomahawk missiles on three occasions, leading to the deadly strike on February 28. The Iranian Embassy in India stated in a post on X: “Remember these two criminals. Leigh R Tate, the commander, and Jeffrey E York, the executive officer of the USS Spruance, who ordered the launch of Tomahawk missiles three times, killing 168 innocent children at a school in Minab.” Similarly, the embassy in South Africa shared a similar post questioning whether the officers had children of their own, asking, “Don’t they have children of their own?” The embassy in Nigeria also expressed outrage, wondering how the officers could sleep at night after their actions. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ School as a “calculated, phased assault” carried out on the first day of the conflict. He claimed more than 175 students and teachers were killed in what he termed a deliberate attack. However, a US military investigation has pointed to a possible error. According to a report by The New York Times, preliminary findings suggested the strike may have resulted from outdated intelligence data used to determine target coordinates. The missile was reportedly intended for an Iranian military facility located next to the elementary school, which was previously part of the same complex.#iran #us_navy #uss_spruance #leigh_r_tate #jeffrey_e_york
U.S. Fired at Iranian Vessel Near Aircraft Carrier, Officials Confirm U.S. military officials confirmed that a naval vessel fired at an Iranian ship that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, according to two unnamed sources briefed on the incident. The attack occurred earlier this week, though details about the exact circumstances remain limited. The officials described the engagement as a defensive response to the Iranian vessel’s proximity to the carrier, though it is unclear whether the shots were intended as warnings or actual attempts to disable the ship. The U.S. Navy reportedly used a 5-inch, 54-caliber Mark-45 gun, a standard deck weapon on destroyers and cruisers since the 1970s, to attempt to target the Iranian vessel. The officials noted that the gun fired multiple times but missed the ship. A helicopter equipped with Hellfire missiles was subsequently deployed and struck the Iranian vessel with two missiles. The status of the ship and its crew has not been disclosed. The USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, is operating in the Arabian Sea as part of U.S. military operations against Iran. It is joined by two destroyers, the USS Spruance and the USS Michael Murphy, though six other guided-missile destroyers are also active in the region. The exact type of helicopter used in the attack remains unspecified, but both Navy Seahawk and Marine Corps Viper helicopters are capable of carrying Hellfire missiles. The MH-60R Seahawks, in particular, are multi-mission aircraft used for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. This incident follows a previous confrontation in early February, when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone approached the Abraham Lincoln “aggressively” and “unnecessarily maneuvered” toward the carrier. The drone was shot down by a U.S.#iran #uss_abraham_lincoln #uss_spruance #uss_michael_murphy #shahed_139
