Trump Says Images of Bombed Iran School Could Be “AI” But Study Confirms U.S. Killed 140+ in Strike

Summary
This Democracy Now! news report, hosted by Amy Goodman, examines the U.S. military strikes in Iran, focusing on a lethal strike on an elementary school in Minab during the opening day of the conflict. The segment highlights congressional hearings, Donald Trump’s claim on Fox News that footage of the school strike may be “AI-generated,” and an investigative architectural reconstruction by Forensic Architecture proving the site was an active primary school struck by U.S. munitions.

What is shown

• [00:08] Footage of U.S. fighter jets on an aircraft carrier alongside coverage of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee.
• [00:47] Anti-war protesters interrupting Pete Hegseth during the Senate hearing, shouting for an end to bombings before being gaveled by Committee Chair Sen. Susan Collins.
• [01:18] Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Sen. Chris Van Hollen questioning Pete Hegseth on the war’s shifting justifications, mounting costs, domestic economic impacts, and civilian casualties.
• [04:19] Video walkthrough of the destroyed classroom rubble at the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, Iran.
• [05:06] Fox News interview clip of Trey Yingst asking Donald Trump whether he will release findings on the school bombing, with Trump claiming the evidence might be AI-generated.
• [06:40] Sky News footage and interview with Khadijah Ahmadizadeh describing the loss of her son, Mohammad Taha, in the strike.
• [08:32] Interview with Samaneh Moafi of Forensic Architecture, showcasing their interactive 3D digital model, historical satellite imagery (2015–2025), and geolocation of the school compound, surrounding civilian clinics, and cultural centers.
• [14:38] Video synchronization analysis tracking the smoke plumes, timing of the nine airstrikes, and the 3D trajectory matching the visual profile of a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile hitting the school.

Claims & numbers

• Pete Hegseth revealed the war cost has surpassed $37 billion (an ~$8 billion increase from prior public estimates) and requested $80 billion in supplemental funding ($67 billion for Iran operations), alongside a $1.5 trillion baseline defense budget request (reported by Amy Goodman and Hegseth).
• Sen. Chris Van Hollen states that 18 American soldiers have died, hundreds have been injured, and the overall civilian death toll stands at several thousand, including over 150 killed in the Minab school bombing.
• Donald Trump claims “it’s also possible that those images that you have are AI generated” and questions whether conclusive reports can be reached.
• In 1988, U.S. forces shot down an Iranian passenger airliner in the Strait of Hormuz, killing 290 passengers due to misidentification (stated by Samaneh Moafi).
• Over 160 children and several adults were killed at the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school on February 28, 2026 (reported by Amy Goodman and Forensic Architecture graphics).
• Forensic Architecture determined nine strikes occurred across approximately 1.5 minutes starting around 11:20 AM, with the fourth missile striking the school 10 seconds after an adjacent hit, followed by a second wave of strikes hitting first responders and families around 12:30–1:15 PM (stated by Samaneh Moafi).
• Forensic Architecture identified the projectile profile as a Tomahawk missile, noting the U.S. is the only belligerent party in the conflict possessing it (stated by Samaneh Moafi).

Notable quotes

• [05:42] Donald Trump: “It is, but it’s also possible that those images that you have are AI generated.”
• [06:52] Khadijah Ahmadizadeh (subtitled): “I picked up a stone and said, ‘I’ll kill myself with this if you don’t bring my son out quickly before he chokes!’”
• [15:47] Samaneh Moafi: “It’s in these ones that we do see the profile of a Tomahawk. And this is owned—the only party within the war that has this missile is the US.”

Assessment
This is a standard investigative broadcast news segment and remote video interview, incorporating archival congressional video, network interview clips, and technical multi-source forensic animations. The 3D modeling and geospatial data presented by Forensic Architecture demonstrate real-world spatial reconstruction techniques to cross-verify open-source footage against official government denials.

Described by gemini-3.8-flash on 2026-10-12 from the video’s audio and frames.