Welch Joins 45 Senators in Pressing DOD Secretary Hegseth for Answers on the School Bombing and Civilian Casualties in Iran

Mar 12, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.)joinedU.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.),Tim Kaine (D-Va.),Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii),Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.),Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and 40 Senate colleagues in demanding that the Department of Defense (DOD) provide answers to the American people on the airstrikes on a school in Minab, Iran, and civilian casualties in the Trump Administration’s war on Iran, as well as accountability for those responsible. In their letter to DOD Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Senators demanded acknowledgment and accountability regarding the airstrike on a girls’ elementary school that reportedlykilled at least 168 people—mostly children—in Minab, Iran, during the opening salvo of U.S. and Israeli operations on Iran on February 28.
As of March 10, 2026, there have been over1,245civilians killed and over12,000civilians injured in the war, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). More than2,000bombs were dropped on Iran in the first four days of the campaign. There have also been reports of airstrikes hitting hospitals, cultural heritage sites, and other critical civilian infrastructure. This includes the use of explosive weapons in major Iranian cities and populated areas, including the capital, Tehran, which is home to approximately nine million people.
“To be clear, the war against Iran is a war of choice without Congressional authorization. Nonetheless, as these military actions continue, the United States and Israel must abide by U.S. and international law, including the law of armed conflict. 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,”wrote the Senators. “The results of this school attack are horrific. The majority of those killed in the strikes were girls between the ages of 7 and 12 years old. Neither the United States nor the Israeli Government has yet taken responsibility for this attack.”
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. These civilian harm events are not taking place in a vacuum. As Secretary of Defense, you set the tone for U.S. military conduct, and your recent comments send a clear message of disregard for the laws of war.”
The Senators emphasized how Secretary Hegseth’s rhetoric about the attack only serves to endanger civilians, including American citizens, in the region and around the globe:“On March 3, you said that Operation Epic Fury would have ‘no stupid rules of engagement.’ On March 4, you said while describing U.S. military operations in Iran that there will be ‘death and destruction from the sky all day long.’…Your comments reflect a broader pattern of policies abandoning the Defense Department’s commitment to minimizing civilian harm in U.S. military operations.”
The Senators concluded that Secretary Hegseth’s actions to undermine accountability at DOD, combined with his comments and the horrific reports of civilian casualties stemming from the war against Iran, suggest the Trump Administration has abandoned its duty to protect civilians:“Under this administration, budgetary and personnel cuts at the Department have robbed military commands of crucial resources to prevent and respond to civilian casualties, including at U.S. Central Command and the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which supports commands in this work and was codified into law with bipartisan congressional support. You have also removed senior, nonpartisan Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers who provide essential legal guidance to U.S. service members, particularly regarding compliance with the law of armed conflict and U.S. policies aimed at reducing civilian harm. These actions, combined with your comments and the horrific reports of civilian casualties stemming from the war against Iran, suggest the administration has abandoned its duty to protect civilians.”
The Senators requested answers to the following questionsregarding the February 28 attack on the elementary school no later than March 18, 2026:
Senators Welch, Van Hollen, Kaine, Warren, Schatz, and Schumer were joined in sending this letter by Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Catherine Cortez Mastro (D-Nev.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Angus King (I-Maine).
Read and downloadthe Senators’ full letter to DOD Secretary Hegseth.
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