A total of 25 Senate Democrats urged Congress to launch a bipartisan investigation into a deadly February missile strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, that reportedly killed at least 168 people – most of them children.
The lawmakers, led by Sen. Reverend Raphael Warnock, sent a letter to Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker to ask for a report and public hearing on the strike.
The senators also requested information on who was responsible, how the target was selected, and what processes are being developed to ensure similar tragedies are not repeated in the future.
“Massive civilian casualty incidents like the attack in Minab are devastating to the Iranian civilian population and risk both undermining U.S. national security interests and rallying domestic support for the Iranian regime,” the senators wrote in the letter, dated back last week.
The senators requested that the committee conduct a "thorough investigation" of the incident in a "transparent manner for the preservation of our military’s integrity and reputation."
A recent report said a preliminary US military investigation concluded that American forces were responsible for the Feb. 28 strike on the elementary school, killing more than 170 people.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged that the Pentagon is investigating the incident but has not provided details on accountability or timelines.
Previously, Hegseth said the US "never" targets civilians. "We don't target. Iran does. We will investigate. We'll get to the truth, and we'll share it when we have it," he said at a news conference.