Trump 'willing to live with' US report on missile strike near Iranian girls' school
He suggested it could have been a "Tomahawk" fired by Iran.
President Donald Trump said on Monday he doesn't "know enough" about the strike near an Iranian elementary school that Iran says killed at least 168 people, including dozens of children, but that he was "willing to live" with the findings of a U.S. investigation into the incident.
A newly surfaced video appears to show a U.S.-made missile, a Tomahawk, hitting a building in Iran adjacent to the girls' school, experts told ABC News.
Trump suggested Monday it could have been a Tomahawk fired by Iran.
"I will say that theTomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is used by, you know,it'ssold and used by other countries, you know that," Trump said. "And whetherit'sIran, who also has someTomahawks, they wish they had more, but, whetherit'sIran or somebody else, the fact that aTomahawk -- aTomahawk is very generic,it'ssold to other countries. Butthat'sbeing investigated right now."
The U.S. makes and sells Tomahawks to its closest allies, including the U.K. and Australia. But it has never sold the technology to Iran or other adversaries. While other countries like Russia use cruise missiles, only the U.S. makes Tomahawks, as the missile experts say appears to be seen in the video of the school strike.
Israel has already said it wasn't operating in the area of the school bombing.
The president faced questions Monday on the Feb. 28 incident during a news conference at Trump National Doral Miami, including his comment over the weekend that Iran was behind it.
"Based on what I've seen, that was done byIran," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Saturday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, standing just behind the president on the plane, said the matter was under investigation and that "only side that targets civilians is Iran."
But pressed on those remarks, Trump said on Monday, "I just don't know enough about it."
"I thinkit'ssomething that I wastoldisunder investigation. ButTomahawks are--areused byothers,as youknow.Numerousother nations have Tomahawks.They buy them from us," Trump said.
"But I willcertainly,whatever the report shows,I'mwilling to live with thatreport," the president continued.
The U.S. military wasstriking targets in the countrylast Saturday in an area where an elementary school was hit and dozens of children were killed, two people familiar with the initial findings previously told ABC News.
An analysis of satellite imagery by ABC News suggests the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab was near an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps compound but had been separated from it more than decade ago.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, rejected Trump's claim that Iran was behind the hit on the girls' elementary school.
ABC News' Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
