Democrats Demand Accountability from Hegseth on Iranian School Strike

Senate Democrats asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to say whether U.S. forces carried out a Feb. 28 strike that destroyed an elementary school and hit a nearby naval base in southern Iran, killing at least 175 people, most of them children. In a letter, a majority of Democratic senators demanded a “swift investigation” and asked the Pentagon to inform them by next week whether the United States was responsible.

The attack has drawn global condemnation and was called a violation of international humanitarian law by the United Nations. President Trump has said, without evidence, that Iran carried out the strike; mangled fragments recovered from the scene appear to be from an American-made Tomahawk cruise missile, according to an analysis.

The Pentagon says it is investigating but has given no timeline for findings. Democrats pointed to comments and policy changes by Mr. Hegseth, who has said that guidelines for the use of deadly force make it harder to defeat enemies and who eliminated offices focused on preventing civilian harm.

Iran, southern Iran

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