Several senior Democratic senators in the United States have demanded a full investigation into the deadly bombing of a girls’ school in southern Iran, saying the Pentagon must provide clear explanations about the strike that reportedly killed at least 170 people.
In a joint statement released late Sunday, six Democratic lawmakers said they were “horrified” by the attack on the elementary school in Minab. The strike occurred during the opening wave of US-Israeli military operations against Iran on February 28.
“The killing of school children is appalling and unacceptable under any circumstance,” said the senators, who serve as leading Democrats on key national security committees. They stressed that the incident must be carefully examined and that the public deserves transparency about what happened.
The calls for an investigation follow the emergence of new video footage suggesting the school may have been struck by a Tomahawk missile — a weapon used by the United States but not possessed by Israel or Iran. The Minab attack has since become one of the most widely discussed incidents of civilian casualties linked to the conflict.
Iranian officials say the war has caused widespread damage to civilian infrastructure. According to authorities in Tehran, strikes have hit schools, medical facilities, residential buildings, markets and other public services, including a water desalination plant.
Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian said that US and Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,255 people across the country since the start of the war, adding that most of the victims were civilians.
“They were living in their homes or [were] at their workplace,” Jafarian said during a television interview.
The senators also pointed to comments made by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about loosening military rules of engagement during the conflict. They argued that any policy decisions that may have contributed to civilian casualties should be thoroughly reviewed.
“Secretary Hegseth needs to ensure the Department of Defense’s ongoing investigation into this strike is thorough… and provide clear answers to the American public and Congress about how and why this tragedy unfolded,” the lawmakers said.
Among those calling for the review are Senators Brian Schatz, Jeanne Shaheen, Jack Reed and Elizabeth Warren. They emphasized that the Minab bombing and similar incidents must be “fully and impartially reviewed.”
Hegseth previously told reporters that US forces are carrying out the “most lethal” strikes against Iran with expanded authority. He argued that the military should operate without what he described as restrictive rules of engagement.
Despite growing scrutiny and investigations by journalists and analysts suggesting US weapons may have been used in the strike, President Donald Trump has blamed Iran for the bombing.
“In my opinion and based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran,” Trump said last week.
Hegseth has not repeated that claim, saying only that the Pentagon is continuing to investigate the incident.
Human rights advocates say the United States has previously denied civilian casualties in conflicts only to later acknowledge mistakes after further investigations. They argue that transparency is essential in the Minab case.
Annie Shiel, the US director at the Center for Civilians in Conflict, said the administration should focus on uncovering the truth rather than denying responsibility.
“The US needs to stop focusing on denial and get to the truth about what happened and why through a thorough, transparent, independent investigation,” she said.
