House Democrats Demand Pentagon Release Findings on Strike That Killed 170 Children

More than 120 House Democrats are demanding the Pentagon publicly release findings from its investigation into a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school, with Representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ) and Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) among those signing onto the effort.

"I joined 121 House Democrats demanding the Secretary of War publicly release the results of the investigation into the strike that killed over 175 Iranian civilians—mostly elementary school girls," Rep. Stanton posted on X.

The letter, addressed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, centers on a February 28th strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Iran, the first day of joint U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran, known as "Operation Epic Fury."

More than 170 people, most of them children, were killed, and another 100 students and staff were wounded.

The lawmakers wrote that they were "particularly disturbed by reports of what appears to be the deadliest attack on civilians thus far," describing the school strike as part of a broader pattern of civilian harm across the operation. This includes reported strikes on hospitals, gymnasiums, public gathering spaces, and a UNESCO heritage site, with total civilian deaths reportedly exceeding 1,000.

Recent Findings

Findings reported by NBC News suggest outdated intelligence likely led to the strike.

Investigators believe the strike hit the school because old targeting data identified the compound as a military site, one that witnesses and an Iranian Education Ministry official say had been vacated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps roughly 15 years earlier.

The lawmakers cited Hegseth's dismissal of top military lawyers in February 2025, cuts to civilian harm mitigation offices, and his March 2nd declaration of "no stupid rules of engagement." They also referenced President Donald Trump's statement -- "I don't need international law” -- calling it "not only lawless but counterproductive."

The letter warned that undermining civilian protection institutions could backfire militarily, quoting former U.S. Central Command General Joseph Votel, who cautioned that excessive civilian casualties "can actually undermine the mission that the military has been sent in to do."

Rep. Ansari shared the full list of signatures.

The lawmakers requested written responses by March 20, 2026.