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Pete Hegseth has asserted that the Pentagon makes a concerted effort to avoid civilian casualties in Iran, following widespread condemnation after a school bombing resulted in the deaths of over a hundred children.
On February 28, a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile tragically struck an elementary school in Iran, leading to the death of 175 civilians, predominantly children. As reported by The New York Times, the U.S. military is the only entity in the conflict with Iran that deploys Tomahawk missiles.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, the Secretary of Defense announced that the military is conducting a detailed investigation into the tragedy. He also criticized the Iranian regime, accusing it of endangering civilian lives.
Addressing the school bombing, Hegseth remarked, “We will investigate. We approach such matters with utmost seriousness and conduct thorough investigations, which require time.”
He continued, “Unlike Iran, which we have evidence of indiscriminately targeting civilians and placing rocket launchers in residential areas, near schools, and hospitals to deter our strikes. That’s their modus operandi.”
Hegseth added, ‘They target civilians. We do not and I can tell you this, this this administration and this pentagon focuses on that very, very closely.’Â
Donald Trump previously claimed that Iran had bombed its own elementary school on the first day of the war, but later walked back the remark during a Monday briefing. The President said he did not yet know enough about the incident and that it remained under investigation.
‘I just don’t know enough about it,’ Trump told a reporter. ‘I think it’s something that’s under investigation…but I will certainly whatever the report shows – I’m willing to live with that report.’Â
The bombing killed 175 people, mostly children, on February 28. People are seen at the site after the strike
Hegseth claimed the Pentagon tries to ‘seriously’ avoid civilian deaths in Iran amid outrage over the bombing of a school that left over a hundred children dead
The military is ‘thoroughly’ investigating the incident, according to Hegseth
Children between the ages of seven and 12, along with staff members, were among those who died in the school strike in the Iranian city of Minab.
Trump’s claim that Iran was responsible comes after Reuters and The Wall Street Journal reported that the US was ‘likely responsible’ for the strike.
US officials told the WSJ: ‘US military investigators think American forces likely were responsible for a strike that killed dozens of children at a girls’ elementary school in Iran.’
The investigation hasn’t reached a final conclusion, the outlet reported last Friday.
Moreover, two other US officials told Reuters the same thing, but the outlet ‘was unable to determine more details about the investigation, including what evidence ‌contributed to the tentative assessment, what type of munition was used, who was responsible or why the US might have struck the school.’
Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham also hit out at the US for reportedly being behind the deadly airstrike.
‘If true, this is horrific news — and the U.S. military will have to address this publicly. Proximity of military compound obviously a factor, but our weapons also have pinpoint accuracy,’ she wrote on X, linking the WSJ article.
Dramatic images released after the attack showed numerous graves dug up so the victims could be laid to rest
The attack stands among the deadliest incidents so far in the US-Israeli campaign against Iran.
Dramatic images released after the attack showed numerous graves dug up so the victims could be laid to rest.
The school attack has sparked controversy across the world, leaving many upset to hear that young, innocent children were killed.