Margaret, we've only got preliminary assessments, and I want a thorough investigation. But what I don't want to do is jump to the conclusion, whether it was CENTCOM or whether it was Defense Intelligence Agency. Let's- that's what thorough investigations are supposed to be for.
Advocate for a full investigation into the causes of the mistaken U.S. strike on an Iranian elementary school and commit to basing conclusions and accountability on facts established by the investigation.
Occurrences
The letter was led by Senators Van Hollen (D-CT), Kaine (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Schatz (D-HI), and Schumer (D-NY) and also signed by Senators Reed (D-RI), Shaheen (D-NH), Hirono (D-HI), Blumenthal (D-CT), Gillibrand (D-NY), Bennet (D-CO), Murray (D-WA), Merkley (D-OR), Heinrich (D-NM), Markey (D-MA), Welch (D-VT), Duckworth (D-IL), Alsobrooks (D-MD), Smith (D-MN), Sanders (I-VT), Gallego (D-AZ), Warnock (D-GA), Durbin (D-IL), Padilla (D-CA), Whitehouse (D-RI), Luján (D-NM), Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Klobuchar (D-MN), Hickenlooper (D-CO), Wyden (D-OR), Peters (D-MI), Kelly (D-AZ), Slotkin (D-MI), Coons (D-DE), Rosen (D-NV), Booker (D-NJ), Ossoff (D-GA), Cortez Mastro (D-NV), Schiff (D-CA), Warner (D-VA), Cantwell (D-WA), Hassan (D-NH), Murphy (D-CT), and King (I-ME).
American servicemembers are governed by strict regulations that are intended to promote the utmost professionalism, so this incident and any like it must be fully and impartially reviewed. Secretary Hegseth needs to ensure the Department of Defense’s ongoing investigation into this strike is thorough, including whether any policy decisions may have contributed to the catastrophe, and provide clear answers to the American public and Congress about how and why this tragedy unfolded.
Evidence
We are horrified by the latest reports concerning the February 28th strike on an Iranian elementary school near the town of Minab, which resulted in the killing of at least 175 people, most of whom were school children. Independent analysis credibly suggests the strike may have been conducted by U.S. forces, which if true, would make it one of the worst cases of civilian casualties in decades of American military action in the Middle East. The killing of school children is appalling and unacceptable under any circumstance. This incident is particularly concerning in light of Secretary Hegseth’s openly cavalier approach to the use of force, including his statement that U.S. strikes in Iran wouldn’t be bound by ‘stupid rules of engagement,’ in his words. American servicemembers are governed by strict regulations that are intended to promote the utmost professionalism, so this incident and any like it must be fully and impartially reviewed. Secretary Hegseth needs to ensure the Department of Defense’s ongoing investigation into this strike is thorough, including whether any policy decisions may have contributed to the catastrophe, and provide clear answers to the American public and Congress about how and why this tragedy unfolded.
We’ve only got preliminary assessments, and I want a thorough investigation. But what I don’t want to do is jump to the conclusion, whether it was [U.S. Central Command (Centcom)] or whether it was Defense Intelligence Agency. Let’s — that’s what thorough investigations are supposed to be for. Clearly, it was an American strike. I, again, feel a little disappointed that the president tried to deny that at first or say it was even the Iranians.
A preliminary investigation found outdated intelligence led to a U.S. missile strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed over 165 people, many of them children. The elementary school had clear civilian markers: vibrant murals visible from space, a public website, and separation from a military base established in 2017. The Trump administration had cut staffing and funding at the Pentagon’s Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which was specifically designed to prevent civilian casualties.
The findings of the US military investigation into the Minab school attack show a violation of the laws of war that cannot be boiled down to a blameless mistake. Even if those responsible for the strike did not deliberately target a school full of children, the US military has an obligation to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm, which it clearly did not do in this case.
Those responsible for planning and executing an unlawful U.S. strike on a school in Minab, Hormozgan province in Iran that killed 168 people, including over 100 children, must be held accountable. Evidence gathered by the organization indicates that the school building was directly struck, alongside 12 other structures in an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) compound, with guided weapons. This points to a failure by U.S. forces to take feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm in carrying out the attack, which is a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
At a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on May 14, 2026, Admiral Brad Cooper acknowledged that the Pentagon has not conducted an investigation into public reports of U.S. strikes hitting several schools, hospitals, and civilian facilities in Iran. He also stated there is one active civilian casualty investigation from the 13,629 munitions used.
Sen. Baldwin said a military investigation had concluded the United States was responsible for the Minab school strike, and the joint Senate letter signed by Mark Warner pressed DoD to release the findings publicly and explain accountability steps.
Reuters reported that Adm. Brad Cooper described the Minab school-strike investigation as complex and said it was nearing conclusion, which meant the formal accountability process was still not fully closed on that date.
The Senate Armed Services Committee announced on June 16, 2026 that the FY27 NDAA had been filed and linked the bill language and committee report text, creating the legislative vehicle for the Minab-report oversight provision.
Section 354 of the filed FY27 NDAA bars most Office of the Secretary of Defense travel spending until the Secretary submits unredacted civilian-harm investigations, including the Minab girls school strike of February 28, 2026, to the Armed Services committees.
AP reported that Congress still had not received the Pentagon's Minab investigation report and that the Senate NDAA would hold back most of Hegseth's travel budget until the report and supporting documents are submitted.
Assessments
This promise is best judged as an advocacy and oversight commitment, not as a promise to personally complete the Pentagon investigation. In March 2026, Warner publicly called for a thorough investigation, said he did not want to jump to conclusions before the facts were established, joined a Senate statement demanding a full and impartial review, and later signed a Senate letter pressing the Defense Department to release findings and explain accountability steps. Those actions match both parts of the promise: advocating for a full investigation and tying conclusions/accountability to the investigation's factual findings. Later evidence showing the Pentagon process was still unresolved does not negate delivery because the promise was about Warner's conduct and oversight posture, which he carried out during the same term.
Warner publicly joined a March 2026 Senate statement and a joint letter pressing the Defense Department for a thorough, fact-based investigation into the Minab school strike and for public accountability. He explicitly said he wanted a thorough investigation and not to jump to conclusions before the facts were established. That satisfies the promise as written: he advocated for a full investigation and committed to basing conclusions and accountability on the investigation's findings. Later reporting that the Pentagon probe was still ongoing does not negate his fulfillment because the promise was about advocacy and factual grounding, not personally completing the inquiry.
Warner publicly called for a thorough investigation into the Iranian school strike, cautioned against premature conclusions, and joined a Senate statement pressing DOD for a full and impartial review with answers to Congress and the public. The later evidence that the Pentagon had not completed or had not fully pursued broader investigations affects whether accountability was achieved, but the promise was framed as advocacy and fact-based restraint, not securing a completed investigation. In federal Senate context, public oversight pressure during his current term is enough to count this advocacy promise as delivered.
Multiple pieces of credible evidence demonstrate that Senator Warner publicly advocated for a full and impartial investigation into the U.S. strike on the Iranian elementary school. Public statements, participation in joint Senate calls for accountability, and explicit demands for transparency and investigation directly fulfill his promise to advocate for an investigation and base conclusions on established facts. These actions occurred in the same term as the incident and fulfilled the oversight and accountability components of the promise.