Scrutiny Grows on Hegseth Over Potential US Role in Iranian School Strike

US Senate Democrats have written to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth seeking answers over a strike on a primary school in Iran that Iranian officials say killed 168 people, including roughly 110 children.

Reports indicate that US military investigators believe American forces may have unintentionally hit the school at the start of a joint US-Israeli operation, though no final conclusion has been reached. The Pentagon said it will respond directly to the senators, as it does with all congressional correspondence.

The letter, signed by nearly all Senate Democrats, raises detailed questions about the incident in Minab, including whether the US carried out the strike and whether outdated or faulty target analysis could have contributed to the school being hit. It also references Hegseth’s recent comments about avoiding “stupid rules of engagement,” asking if proper procedures to prevent potential war crimes were followed.

If US involvement is confirmed, the strike would represent one of the deadliest cases of civilian casualties in decades of American military action in the Middle East. Senator Gary Peters, a member of the Armed Services Committee and one of the letter’s signatories, described the incident as “a horrific tragedy” and called for a thorough investigation.

The episode underscores growing partisan divides over the war, with no Republican senators signing the letter. Only one Democrat, John Fetterman, did not sign; he has supported the military action but endorsed an investigation into the school strike.

According to reports from US media outlets, a preliminary assessment suggests the US was “likely” responsible, though the school was not intentionally targeted. Faulty or outdated intelligence may have led to the area being incorrectly identified as a military site.

Former President Donald Trump, without citing evidence, has suggested Iran might have carried out the attack. Asked recently about the matter, he said he did not know enough but was willing to accept the findings of the ongoing military investigation.

Expert analysis of video footage shows a Tomahawk missile exclusively used by the US striking a nearby Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base. Analysts say the presence of the Tomahawk, combined with multiple strikes, points to US involvement. Iran has blamed both the US and Israel, while Israel maintains it was unaware of any operations in the area.

Since the US-Israeli operation began on February 28, civilian sites including hospitals and historic landmarks have suffered significant damage, with reports of growing civilian casualties. In response, Iran has launched attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, including strikes on non-military targets such as energy facilities.

Meanwhile, former CIA Director and US Central Command leader General David Petraeus said the US “tragically, were probably the ones” responsible, noting that Tomahawk missiles were the only type used in the exercise and that old intelligence may have mistakenly identified the school as part of an Iranian naval compound.