Trump War Chief Hegseth Confronted Over Attack on Girls’ School That Killed 160 Children

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was confronted by a reporter over the attack on a girls’ school in Iran that killed at least 175 children and others.

Since Trump announced that the United States was in the process of attacking Iran, at least six American servicemembers have been killed in the fighting. Iranian counterstrikes have continued throughout the region, including on U.S. assets.

On the first day of the operation, Iranian media reported a strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh all-girls elementary school in Minab that killed, at most recent count, at least 175 people — including 160 children. The school was located near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base that was also targeted.

Hegseth held a joint press conference for the Pentagon press corps on Wednesday morning, which he opened with a hyperbolic ode to the “death and destruction” being wrought by U.S. air power.

But in one section of his remarks, Hegseth accused the “fake news” of trying to “make the president look bad” by prominently reporting on what he described as “when a few drones get through, or something tragic happens.”

The latter may have been a reference to the strike, while the former was a reference to the Americans who have been killed.

Later in the presser, BBC State Department correspondent Tom Bateman confronted Hegseth about the strike, and the secretary’s response was notably muted, even on follow-up:

BBC STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT TOM BATEMAN: Can you give us an update on what the administration knows, what you know now about the reported strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran on Saturday?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: All I know, all I can say is that we’re investigating that. We of course never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.

BBC STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT TOM BATEMAN: Just on the basis that with the information you would have your reconnaissance abilities– ability to gather information. I mean, it’s several days on now.

So is there any clarity on whose munition this was?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: We’re investigating it.

Watch above via Fox News.

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