A Bloomberg investigation has alleged that a U.S. military 'kill chain'—a sequence of automated processes used to identify and engage targets—was the primary cause of a lethal missile strike in Minab, southern Iran. According to the report, the strike resulted in the deaths of more than 150 people, with sources indicating that at least 123 of the victims were children.

The investigation cites over two dozen current and former U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. These sources suggest that the Pentagon is aware of systemic failures within its AI-driven targeting protocols. Specifically, the report highlights an overreliance on automated systems that are fed with outdated intelligence and operate without adequate human intervention or verification. The use of such technology in a populated area, according to the report, led to the catastrophic misidentification of the school as a valid military target.

While the report details the technical and procedural failures within the Pentagon's targeting infrastructure, it does not provide a response from the Department of Defense regarding these specific allegations. The discrepancy between the intended use of precision-guided AI and the reported outcome at the school in Minab has raised significant questions regarding the ethics and reliability of autonomous weapon systems in modern warfare. The report serves as a critique of the current military strategy that prioritizes speed and automated data processing over traditional human-led intelligence verification.