The Iranian government on Wednesday released footage it says was of missile debris from the deadly school attack in Minab, Iran's southern province of Hormozgan, on Feb 28, providing fresh evidence that the United States military was behind the attack.
The video obtained by China Media Group (CMG) from the Iranian government shows that some of the fragments said to be from the missile are marked with detailed information, including the place of origin, manufacturer and serial number of the parts. Markings such as "Made in USA" and "Raytheon Company" can be clearly seen on the debris.
The United States has repeatedly denied carrying out the attack on the elementary school in Minab, where Iranian state media says at least 165 people were killed, most of them young girls.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei reiterated in an exclusive interview with CMG on Tuesday that the school was hit by missiles twice on Feb 28, with the second attack coming as rescuers gathered at the site, resulting in a large number of casualties.
Baghaei said the United States and Israel must be held responsible for such criminal acts.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that an ongoing military investigation has preliminarily determined that the deadly school attack was the result of a targeting error.
Officials briefed on the investigation told the newspaper that officers at the U.S. Central Command generated the strike coordinates using outdated intelligence provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, leading to the targeting mistake.
The findings are preliminary, and key questions remain unresolved, including why the outdated information was not double-checked, officials quoted by the newspaper said.
Iran says new evidence proves U.S. behind deadly school attack
A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday slammed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te over his latest remarks on cross-Strait relations, accusing him of promoting secessionism and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a press release that Lai's speech marking his second anniversary in office was "filled with lies and deception, hostility and confrontation."
Chen accused Lai of stubbornly adhering to a secessionist stance in pursuit of "Taiwan independence," while exaggerating the so-called threats from the mainland and intensifying confrontation across the Strait.
Lai played an old trick of advocating the secessionist agenda on one hand and, on the other, calling insincerely for dialogue and exchanges with the mainland, attempting to mislead people in Taiwan and deceive the international community, he said.
Chen said that these common tricks have been seen through by more and more Taiwanese people. Their deceptive and provocative actions will be met with firm opposition from compatriots on both sides and the international community, and are doomed to fail.
Reaffirming the mainland's position on the Taiwan question, Chen said Taiwan has never been a country, is not one now, and will never become one in the future.
He described the Taiwan question as a historical issue left over from a Chinese civil war in the 1940s.
No election result in Taiwan could alter the fact that Taiwan is part of China or sever the historical and legal bonds linking the two sides of the Strait, according to Chen.
The mainland would never allow any person or force to pursue secessionist activities under any pretext, he added.
Calling secessionists "the chief culprit" who undermines cross-Strait peace, Chen said the mainland would continue to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, unite broadly with Taiwan compatriots, combat secessionist activities, and safeguard peace and stability across the Strait.
Central government spokesperson refutes Lai Ching-te's latest remarks, warns against secessionist moves
