politics
March 12, 2026
Pentagon gutted civilian watchdogs before Iran school strike
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly gutted offices that would have investigated the strike on an Iranian girls’ school
TL;DR
- US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reportedly reduced Pentagon civilian protection staff by 90%.
- The cuts diminished the capacity to investigate the fatal US strike on an Iranian girls' school.
- The strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab killed at least 168 schoolgirls and over a dozen staff.
- Evidence suggests a US Tomahawk missile hit near the school.
- Hegseth dismissed publicly available evidence as insufficient for determining events.
- US President Donald Trump offered shifting explanations for the strike.
- The incident has drawn international condemnation, with Russia and UNESCO denouncing the attack and the UN human rights office urging an investigation.
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