A girls’ school in Iran was reportedly hit. Within hours, major outlets were reporting that U.S.–Israel deliberately targeted it and killed dozens of girls — citing Iranian state media. Here’s what got less attention: Open-source defense reporting had previously mapped the site as a military installation. Anti-regime Iranian media identified it as a school for children of military personnel. TIME reported it had previously been used as a military facility. Iran now claims 165 dead. Its own Ministry of Education says at least 81 were pupils. If roughly half were adults, who were they? For months, Western outlets said they couldn’t independently verify casualty figures when Iranian protesters were killed. But when the regime alleged schoolgirls were killed, the numbers spread globally within hours. This is how a claim becomes “fact.” The first headline travels furthest. The corrections rarely catch up.