The United States Department of Defense is not investigating reports that American airstrikes destroyed 22 schools and 17 healthcare facilities in Iran, according to the commander leading U.S. forces in the region. Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper told members of Congress that there is "no way" and "no indication" that the military can corroborate the allegations, which were detailed in a New York Times investigation using satellite imagery and verified video footage.
Congressional Testimony
During a Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing on Thursday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand pressed Cooper on the lack of an investigation. "There is indication. Have you investigated those claims?" she asked. Cooper responded, "We have not." When Gillibrand questioned why, given his stated passion for civilian protection, Cooper did not provide a clear answer.
Previous Incidents
The admission comes two months after a preliminary internal investigation linked American forces to a lethal strike on a girls' school in Minab, Iran, which killed at least 150 children, according to Iran's ambassador to the United Nations. The total death toll from that strike has reportedly exceeded 175 people, though this has not been independently confirmed. More than 1,700 civilians have been killed in Iran since U.S. strikes began, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Cooper stated that the military has identified only one potential incident where Iranian civilians were killed among over 13,600 airstrikes. He testified that civilian protections are a "particular passion" of his and that the military has "gone above and beyond" to warn civilians, even claiming he "personally" warned Iranians.
Pentagon Investigation
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the White House previously confirmed an investigation into the February 28 strike on the elementary school in Minab. Evidence from data analysts, including satellite imagery and social media footage, suggests the school was hit by a precision strike, possibly multiple times. Maps from the Department of Defense show two Iranian air defense targets near the school within a "U.S./Israeli strikes" zone. Outside analysts have suggested that AI-driven targeting or human error may have played a role.
However, more than two months later, the status of that investigation remains unclear. The Pentagon has also gutted the office responsible for mitigating civilian harm, the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response, which was formalized in 2022 with 200 personnel. According to Ret. Master Sgt. Wes J. Bryant, only a handful of positions were restarted for operations in Iran, effectively scrapping months of work to prevent tragedies like the one in Minab.
Senate Concerns
During the hearing, Senator Mark Kelly urged Cooper to restaff the Civilian Harm office. "If you were to find out that there was an error in the targeting process, would you reinstate some of those people that were removed from that team?" Kelly asked. Cooper called the question "hypothetical," stating, "We'll just see what the investigation says."
The Iranian Red Crescent Society reports that nearly 800 schools and more than 300 healthcare facilities have been damaged or destroyed since the start of U.S. strikes.
