Washington, DC – US media reports indicate that the US military likely used a massive 900-kilogram bomb in the attack on Iran’s Qeshm Island last Thursday night. According to an investigation by The New York Times, the attack resulted in civilian casualties. Iranian officials confirmed that the airstrike directly targeted a residential building.
Officials explained that the bombing killed a couple and their two-year-old child. The family’s two other children, who were at the same location, miraculously survived. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of civilians in areas targeted by large-scale military operations.
Technical evidence and analysis of the explosion site
The New York Times investigation based its assessment of the type of ammunition used on precise, multi-dimensional technical evidence. Experts thoroughly examined video footage and high-resolution satellite imagery. They also measured the size of the blast crater and analyzed the munitions debris scattered at the scene.
Initial findings suggest the use of a Mark-84 bomb, one of the largest and most destructive conventional bombs in the US military arsenal. The newspaper highlighted a significant paradox: no military installations or bases were identified near the site of the civilian explosion. Furthermore, reports from Iranian officials made no mention of any military casualties resulting from this specific strike.
The American position and the ongoing investigations
On the military and official front, The Jerusalem Post quoted an unnamed US official as saying that the strikes carried out by US forces that night were characterized by an unusual intensity of firepower. They were “almost double the size of the previous night’s strikes.” The official described the operations as “widespread, comprehensive, and highly effective.”
In response to consistent reports of civilian casualties, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a brief statement announcing it was launching a formal investigation into the reported civilian casualties from the attack. However, CENTCOM refrained from disclosing crucial details regarding the military objective of the strike. It also declined to specify the type of munitions used. Furthermore, it did not release any initial assessments of the results of the airstrikes that rocked Qeshm Island amidst escalating regional tensions between the two sides.
