Shajarah Tayyebeh. How do you feel when you read those words?

If you lived in Iran, you might feel similarly to Americans when we read Robb Elementary, Sandy Hook Elementary or West Nickel Mines School. Only the shock, outrage and grief might weigh more heavily on you. Shajarah Tayyebeh, which in English literally means “good tree,” is the primary school for girls in Minab, Iran, that suffered a devastating missile strike on February 28, 2026, the first day of bombings by Israel and the United States. The strike killed 175 students and staff. Irrespective of your position on the overall U.S. mission, I imagine you must be sickened by the massacre of these innocent civilians, most of whom were children.

Despite its own conclusive evidence, the U.S. has yet to assume responsibility for this atrocity. Pointing the finger at Iran or trying to explain it away as the fog of war were heartless attempts to hide the truth. The truth is the U.S. launched a Tomahawk cruise missile aimed precisely at the school building, and it struck the target as planned, a military investigation has found.

The global media, heads of state, and citizens around the world will judge the U.S., and the International Criminal Court may issue arrest warrants for war crimes. More importantly, the U.S. must judge itself. Regardless of the degree or kind of respect the White House has for the rest of the world or the ICC, the U.S. must hold itself accountable. Whether it was an unforeseeable accident, negligent intelligence gathering or worse, the U.S. must hold itself accountable. This monstrous act must not be excused as a military error attributed to faulty data or blamed on AI. This was an entirely and inexcusable human act.

A people who accepts this depraved slaughter of innocent non-combatants as tolerable collateral damage is morally bereft, a people in despair. We are not that people. We are a people of hope, so we must hold the persons responsible to account. Our humanity demands justice for the children of Good Tree, for the children of Shajarah Tayyebeh.

David Ram

Easthampton