A controversial decision regarding the Iran conflict is making critics raise questions about the Trump administration. Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary, had decided to significantly cut down a department that would have looked into the Iranian school bombing.
According to Politico, sources have revealed that Hegseth “slashed” offices that were not helpful for his idea of “lethality”. This included him downsizing the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence.
The department looked after minimizing risk to innocent civilians during a war-like situation.
Apparently, around 200 officials were working previously, but now 90% of them are gone. Specifically, the number of people who looked after the Middle East area has gone down from 10 to 1.
Hegseth officially cannot close the department because Congress backs it. Instead, he made it “inoperable,” as claimed by Politico.
Many videos have become viral, showing a missile targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base, situated near the Shajareh Tayyiba school. Following the attack, Iranian media claimed that at least 168 children were killed, as reported by CNN.
The Feb 28 airstrike on an Iranian Girl’s School killed atleast 170 people, with Iran’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, saying the strike killed 150 students. Anonymous Israel linked accounts attempted to push the narrative that Iran bombed the school themselves.… pic.twitter.com/JuKGBnytzT
— Adhadhu (@AdhadhuMV) March 10, 2026
Recently, The New York Times alleged that an ongoing military investigation revealed U.S. fault behind the attack. The Central Command supposedly decided on the attack coordinates based on old and unreliable data.
Many have come forward to condemn the attack, citing concerns for human lives.
Wes Bryant, who was the Pentagon’s chief of civilian harm assessments till last year, said to Politico, “The fact that our secretary of Defense, that our Central Command commander, cannot actually tell us whether or not they dropped a bomb in this location, that is so unbelievably unacceptable.”
He further added, “It just points even more to recklessness in this, in the entire planning and execution of this campaign, the fact that they don’t have any idea.”
One defense official highlighted how caring about civilians benefits the system in the long run. They told Politico, “The real issue is the degree to which the administration cares…Under an administration that cares about [civilian casualties], the center would be helpful. With or without the center, if they don’t care the center doesn’t matter.”
They were girls who went to school to learn, with hopes and dreams for their future. Today, their lives were brutally cut short.
I am heartbroken and appalled by the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, including reports that a girls’ school in southern Iran was hit, resulting in…
— Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) February 28, 2026
In the past, Hegseth had commented on the US always caring more about civilian lives than any other country. However, in a recent press conference, he said, “We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country.”
The outlet Politico also wrote how Hegseth stated, “No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for warfighters.”
Donald Trump has remained firm on his stand that Iran was behind the strike. When asked about the attack, Trump asserted, “But whether it’s Iran or somebody else, the fact that a Tomahawk, a Tomahawk, is very generic. It’s sold to other countries. But that’s being investigated right now,” as reported by Politico.
