Bizarre denial from Trump on the Iran school tragedy—Democrats aren’t holding back
The smallest coffins are the heaviest.
Senate Democrats are really pushing the Pentagon for answers after a school in Iran was bombed, killing over 100 children. This week, a group of 46 senators, mostly Democrats, sent a letter directly to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, demanding a swift investigation into the strike and public release of the findings.
The incident occurred on February 28. A girls’ school near a naval base in Minab was hit during what was reportedly the first wave of US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Over 100 children died in that attack, with US officials stating they’re looking into it. The senators highlighted in their letter that the majority of those killed were girls between the ages of 7 and 12 years old.
According to The Hill, leading the charge on this letter were Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), alongside Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). It’s interesting to note that even independent senators Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Angus King (Maine), who usually caucus with Democrats, signed on.
Was the girls’ school in Minab an intended target?
However, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who has largely supported the operation against Iran, did not. The lawmakers are specifically asking the Defense Secretary about the analysis done before the strike and whether the school was an intended target.
When President Donald Trump was asked about a preliminary investigation suggesting the US was likely responsible for the school strike, he simply told reporters, “I don’t know enough about it.” This response came after he had previously accused Iran of bombing its own civilians.
It’s been reported that Tomahawk missiles struck the school building. The US is the only country involved in this conflict that actually uses those types of weapons. What’s even more concerning is that people briefed on the investigation have indicated that officers at US Central Command used outdated data from the Defense Intelligence Agency when they conducted the attack.
The senators also raised serious concerns about Hegseth’s remarks from earlier this month. He described Operation Epic Fury as an operation conducted with “no stupid rules of engagement”. The lawmakers pushed back hard on this, stating that “this rhetoric only serves to endanger civilians, including American citizens, in the region and around the globe.”
They also reminded everyone that the United States is bound by international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, which cover principles like distinction, proportionality, and precaution. These are “binding and non-negotiable standards designed to protect innocent human life,” they wrote, finding it unacceptable for the Secretary of Defense to suggest otherwise. They even suggested that Hegseth’s behavior is becoming a pattern.
In a separate but related move, Senator Shaheen, along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), sent another letter to President Trump on Tuesday. They are requesting that both Secretary Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio provide testimony under oath about the objectives for the war in Iran.
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