Senate Democrats Urge Probe of Iran School Airstrike

Nearly every U.S. Senate Democrat signed a letter on Wednesday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, demanding a prompt investigation into an airstrike that destroyed a girls' school in southern Iran and killed scores of children, mostly aged 7 to 12.

The February 28 attack occurred amid joint U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran. U.S. military investigators have indicated it is likely that American forces carried out the strike, though neither the United States nor Israel has officially acknowledged responsibility. The letter, endorsed by 46 senators from the Democratic caucus, described the incident's results as horrific and called for transparency on U.S. involvement, measures to prevent civilian casualties, and the role of artificial intelligence in targeting decisions. It also requested details on compliance with international laws of armed conflict and the impact of recent cuts to personnel focused on mitigating civilian harm.

The sole Democrat not to sign was Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, whose office did not immediately comment. No Republicans joined the effort. Senate Democrats represent the minority party, holding 47 seats against the Republican...