Nearly every member of the Senate Democratic caucus has called for an investigation into the bombing of a girls’ school in the Iranian city of Minab, an attack that killed more than 100 children and has intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration’s military campaign against Iran.
A group of 46 mostly Democratic senators sent a letter Wednesday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding answers about the Feb. 28 strike on the school, which was located near a naval base and was hit during the first wave of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The lawmakers described the civilian toll as devastating and called for immediate transparency from the Pentagon.
“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 wrote.
The letter was signed by every member of the Senate Democratic caucus except Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. The caucus includes independent Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, both of whom signed the request for an investigation.
The near-unanimous demand for answers highlighted the seriousness of the allegations surrounding the Minab strike. At the same time, Fetterman’s absence from the letter underscored a growing divide among Democrats over the Trump administration’s military campaign.
Fetterman has repeatedly voiced support for the operation against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, and has echoed the administration’s claim that the campaign is aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
During a Tuesday appearance on Newsmax, the Pennsylvania senator criticized diplomatic efforts and defended the military operation. He said “negotiating treaties” and coordinating with regional allies “never worked,” and questioned why Democrats cannot “agree what’s happened is a very, very positive development for world peace.”
When asked about the letter sent by his colleagues, Fetterman told Reuters that he supports the military campaign while acknowledging the need for an inquiry.
“The United States never intentionally targets civilians, including its own citizens, unlike Iran. Everyone agrees it was a tragedy. Everyone agrees on performing a full investigation,” he said.
A spokesperson for the senator later clarified that his absence from the letter should not be interpreted as opposition to an investigation.
“Whether the senator is on a letter or not, he fully stands behind a comprehensive investigation into this tragedy,” the spokesperson said.
The letter to Hegseth was led by several senior Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Reporting on the effort also cited Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire among those organizing the request.
In the letter, the senators said they had “grave concern” about the strike and warned that the broader assault on Iran lacks congressional authorization.
They wrote that the ongoing military campaign “is a war of choice without congressional authorization.”
The lawmakers demanded that the Pentagon launch a rapid investigation into the Minab bombing and disclose the findings publicly.
“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,” the senators wrote.
The lawmakers also requested information about the intelligence and analysis used before the strike, including whether the school was an intended target and what procedures were followed to prevent civilian casualties. They asked Hegseth to provide answers no later than March 18.
The strike has drawn particular outrage because the victims were predominantly young girls. According to accounts cited by the senators, most of those killed were between the ages of 7 and 12.
More broadly, lawmakers warned that civilian casualties in the conflict are mounting.
According to an update from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency cited in the letter, more than 1,245 civilians have been killed and more than 12,000 injured since the war began. Iranian government officials have placed the death toll above 1,300.
The senators argued that such incidents have consequences beyond the immediate loss of life.
“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,” the letter states.
Lawmakers also raised alarm about statements from Hegseth describing how the military campaign would be conducted. The defense secretary previously said the operation would involve “no stupid rules of engagement” and warned there would be “death and destruction from the sky all day long.”
The senators argued that such language risks weakening safeguards intended to protect civilians.
“This rhetoric only serves to endanger civilians, including American citizens, in the region and around the globe. The United States is a party to the Geneva Conventions and bound by international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution,” the lawmakers wrote.
“These are binding and non-negotiable standards designed to protect innocent human life, and it is unacceptable for the Secretary of Defense to suggest otherwise,” they added.
The letter also cited what lawmakers described as a broader shift inside the Defense Department away from policies designed to reduce civilian harm during military operations.
“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 wrote.
While the Pentagon has said it is investigating the Minab strike, early reporting has already raised questions about how the attack occurred.
According to reporting on the preliminary findings of a Pentagon probe, the strike was likely the result of a targeting mistake by the U.S. military. Investigators reportedly found that the school building had once been part of an adjacent Iranian base and that officers at U.S. Central Command relied on outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency when planning the strike.
Tomahawk missiles reportedly hit the building, and the United States is the only country involved in the conflict known to use those weapons.
President Donald Trump initially suggested Iran may have been responsible for the incident, accusing the country of bombing its own civilians. When asked later about the preliminary investigation, Trump told reporters, “I don’t know enough about it.”
Neither Trump nor Hegseth has taken responsibility for the bombing.
One Republican senator who supports the war has nonetheless publicly apologized for the strike. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana acknowledged the tragedy and expressed regret.
“We made a mistake… I’m just so sorry it happened,” Kennedy said.
The Minab bombing has also intensified debate over the legality of the military campaign itself. Critics in Congress say the war was launched without congressional authorization, raising questions about presidential war powers.
Earlier this month, a resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine sought to halt U.S. participation in the war. The measure ultimately failed after several senators joined Republicans in blocking it.
Fetterman was among those who opposed the resolution.
For many senators demanding answers from the Pentagon, the destruction of the Minab school has become a defining moment in the debate over the conduct of the war and the protection of civilians.
“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,” the senators wrote.
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