Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers from Defense Department on the School Bombing and Civilian Casualties in Iran

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today pressed the Department of Defense to provide answers to the American people regarding the airstrikes on a school and civilian casualties in Iran.

Trump's Defense Department airstrikes on a girls' elementary school reportedly killed 168 people - mostly children - in Minab, Iran, during the opening attack from the United States and Israel on February 28.

In their letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the senators underscored, "There must be a swift investigation into the strikes on this school and any other potential U.S. military actions causing civilian harm, and the findings must be released to the public as soon as possible, along with any measures to pursue accountability."

The senators continued, "Massive civilian casualty incidents like the attack in Minab are not only detrimental to the Iranian people, who have already suffered so much at the hands of its own government, but they also undermine U.S. national security interests. These concerns are compounded by the reported use of artificial intelligence tools to select and prioritize targets in Iran."

Reports have also surfaced about Defense Department airstrikes hitting multiple hospitals, cultural heritage sites, and other critical civilian infrastructure, including in the capital, Tehran. Since March 10, 2026, the Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported more than 1,245 civilians killed and more than 12,000 civilians injured in light of Trump's war.

The letter was led by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai'i, and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Joining Wyden and Merkley, the letter was signed by Reed, D-R.I., Shaheen, D-N.H., Hirono, D-Hawai'i, Blumenthal, D-Conn., Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Bennet, D-Colo., Murray, D-Wash., Heinrich, D-N.M., Baldwin, D-Wis., Markey, D-Mass., Welch, D-Vt., Duckworth, D-Ill., Alsobrooks, D-Md., Smith, D-Minn., Kim, D-N.J., Sanders, I-Vt., Gallego, D-Ariz., Warnock, D-Ga., Durbin, D-Ill., Padilla, D-Calif., Whitehouse, D-R.I., Luján, D-N.M., Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Klobuchar, D-Minn., Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Peters, D-Mich., Kelly, D-Ariz., Slotkin, D-Mich., Coons, D-Del., Rosen, D-Nev., Booker, D-N.J., Ossoff, D-Ga., Cortez Mastro, D-Nev., Schiff, D-Calif., Warner, D-Va., Cantwell, D-Wash., Hassan, D-N.H., Murphy, D-Conn., and King, I-Maine.

The senators pressed for answers to the following questions:

• Did U.S. forces conduct the strikes that struck the girls' school in Minab, Iran on February 28, 2026? If not, did the United States play any role in planning, coordinating, or supporting the strikes?
  • If U.S. forces carried out the strikes on the school, what was the intended target? What led to the errant strike? At what command level was authorization granted? What weapons and systems were used in the strikes?
  • What analysis was done to determine the purpose of the building? When was this analysis completed? What measures were implemented to reduce the risk of civilian casualties? What was the intended military objective? Were AI tools used in planning or executing these strikes?
  • What analysis, if any, led the U.S. military to conclude that the expected civilian harm would not be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated?
• You said U.S. forces would follow "no stupid rules of engagement." Are you complying with rules to prevent the commission of war crimes? If so, what procedures are in place to implement those rules?
• What steps has the U.S. military taken to prevent and mitigate civilian harm in its operational planning and targeting? Was a "no-strike list" established prior to the commencement of U.S. military operations in Iran?
• Have any U.S. military operations in Iran utilized, or will any utilize, artificial intelligence tools, and if so, provide specifics of how they are being used and for what purpose? What human verification and redundancy policies are in place, if any, to evaluate the accuracy and legitimacy of AI-generated targets? Please provide a copy of any procedures service members use to verify AI-generated targets and recommend them for execution.
• What role do civilian harm mitigation and response (CHMR) staff at CENTCOM play in operational planning and targeting? How has CENTCOM compensated for the reduction in resources dedicated to this effort, including the loss of dedicated civilian harm mitigation teams?
• The U.S. has reported that it struck over 1,000 targets in just 24 hours. Given this volume, the compressed timeframe, and the presence of targets in populated areas, what steps and precautions has the U.S. taken to ensure compliance with the laws of war during these strikes? How has the U.S. implemented established CHMR policies and practices?

The text of the letter is here.

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