President Donald Trump on Saturday denied U.S. involvement in a strike that killed more than 165 people at a girls’ elementary school in Southern Iran, instead placing the blame on Iran.
When asked aboard Air Force One Saturday whether the U.S. conducted the Feb. 28 strike, Trump said, without evidence, “No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.”
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, standing next to the president, took a more cautious tone, saying the government is still “investigating” the attack but adding, “The only side that targets civilians is Iran.”
Following Hegseth’s statement, Trump asserted: “It was done by Iran.”
Trump’s blunt comments on the strike are a departure from past White House posturing.
On Wednesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked whether the U.S. was responsible, to which she said: “Not that I know of,” adding that the Department of Defence was investigating the strike, a stance in line with what Hegseth said Saturday.
The officials’ comments come as satellite images, expert analysis and information released by U.S. and Israeli militaries suggest the strike was likely the result of U.S. airstrikes that also hit a nearby compound controlled by the Iranian regime’s Revolutionary Guard.
Democratic lawmakers have condemned the strike, which was the highest reported civilian death toll since the war began last week, suggesting the U.S. bears responsibility. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) said on X Friday, “More than 100 innocent school children are dead because of the U.S.’s unlawful attack of Iran,” reflecting broader criticism from anti-war lawmakers who say the conflict is spiraling without sufficient congressional oversight.
Members of Iran’s political leadership have said the U.S. and Israel are at fault for the strike on the Minab girls’ school. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the attack on the school would “never be erased from the historical memory of our nation,” while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the bombing a “crime” and said it would not go unanswered. Iranian diplomats also raised the issue at the United Nations, urging international condemnation and investigation.
Credit: https://www.politico.com
