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Lawmakers demand Pentagon release findings from probe of Iran school strike

Created at 13 Jul · 7:15 PM1 source↑ Market-relevant
IN SHORT

Democratic senators are calling on the Trump administration to release the findings of a U.S. military investigation into a strike on a girls' school in Iran that killed over 175 children and teachers. The Pentagon stated the investigation is ongoing.

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Key Numbers

175children and teachers killed
1991year of previous largest civilian casualty incident
400civilians killed in 1991 Iraq bombing

Who's Involved

Kirsten Gillibrand
Democratic senator leading the call for investigation findings
Donald Trump
President casting doubt on U.S. military responsibility
Jack Reed
Top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee
Brad Cooper
U.S. Admiral and head of Central Command
Pete Hegseth
U.S. Defense Secretary
Pentagon
Stated investigation is ongoing

↳ Why This Matters

The demand for transparency follows an incident where U.S. forces may have caused significant civilian casualties, raising questions about military accountability and the use of intelligence in conflict zones. The outcome could impact U.S. foreign policy and its relationship with Iran.

Key facts

  • Democratic senators are demanding the release of findings from a U.S. military investigation into a strike on a girls' school in Iran.
  • The strike, which occurred on February 28, reportedly killed over 175 children and teachers.
  • An initial internal investigation suggested U.S. forces were likely responsible for the incident.
  • The Pentagon stated the investigation is ongoing and provided no updates.
  • President Donald Trump has cast doubt on whether the U.S. military will know what happened, questioning if it was their missile.
  • Lawmakers are requesting an unclassified report and a plan to prevent future civilian casualties.

Democratic senators, led by Kirsten Gillibrand, have urged the Trump administration to publicly disclose the findings of a U.S. military investigation into a strike on a girls' school in Iran that occurred on February 28, the opening day of the war with Iran. The senators requested the findings be released within a week, along with a plan to prevent future occurrences.

An initial internal U.S. military investigation, reported by Reuters, indicated that U.S. forces were likely responsible for the fatal strike in Minab, which Iranian officials claim killed over 175 children and teachers. This would make it the largest civilian casualty incident for the U.S. military since 1991. The lawmakers emphasized the military's legal and moral obligation to prevent civilian harm and provide a clear accounting when such incidents occur.

A Pentagon official stated that the investigation is ongoing and no updates are available. President Donald Trump, however, has expressed skepticism about the U.S. military's ability to determine what happened, suggesting it might not have been a U.S. missile. Sources familiar with the matter have reported that U.S. officials may have used outdated intelligence for targeting packages. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, described the investigation as complex due to the school's location near an active Iranian cruise missile base.

Frequently asked questions

The strike occurred on February 28, which was the opening day of the war with Iran.

An initial, internal U.S. military investigation suggested that U.S. forces were likely responsible for the fatal strike.

Iranian officials state that more than 175 children and teachers were killed in the strike.

They are demanding the release of the investigation's findings, a briefing for Congress, and a plan to prevent future mistakes.

What Happens Next

01The Pentagon is expected to provide an update on the investigation.
02Congress will await the unclassified findings and prevention plan from the Department of Defense.

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Cadence

How It Developed

Democratic senators led by Kirsten Gillibrand demanded the release of findings from a U.S. military investigation into a strike at a girls' school in Iran.
The strike occurred on February 28, the opening day of the war with Iran.
An initial internal investigation suggested U.S. forces were likely responsible for the fatal strike in Minab.
More than 175 children and teachers were killed, according to Iranian officials.
The senators requested the investigation be finalized, Congress briefed, and a plan presented to prevent recurrence.
A Pentagon official stated the investigation is ongoing with no updates.
President Donald Trump expressed doubt that the U.S. military would know what happened, suggesting it might not have been a U.S. missile.
Lawmakers asked for an unclassified version of the findings and a prevention plan from Admiral Brad Cooper and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Sources

T1
Lawmakers demand Pentagon release findings from probe of Iran school strikeReuters

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