The Global Story Was the air strike on an Iranian school a war crime?
32 snips
Mar 16, 2026 
Merlyn Thomas, a BBC Verify reporter who uses open-source intelligence and satellite imagery, gives forensic reconstruction of the Minab school strike. Oona Hathaway, an international law scholar and former Defense Department counsel, explains legal frameworks and accountability. They discuss geolocation and satellite evidence, weapon identification, targeting procedures, AI in targeting, and when civilian deaths may meet legal thresholds.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
How Verify Confirms Warzone Footage
- BBC Verify geolocated school footage using wall patterns and building details to confirm location and authenticity.
- Merlyn Thomas matched on-the-ground video to satellite imagery to ensure the footage was new and genuine.
Satellite Craters Reveal Multiple Strikes
- Satellite imagery showed scorch marks and multiple nearby impact craters, indicating repeated strikes and possible intentional targeting.
- Experts used crater depth and spacing to assess weapon types and to infer deliberate targeting of the compound.
Video Shows Tomahawk Over Target Area
- Iranian state media footage captured a missile moments before detonation over the military base and smoke already rising above the school.
- Munitions experts identified the weapon as a U.S. Tomahawk, linking the strike footage to that missile type.