The Americans hold him responsible for the situation in Iran

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to the New York Times, has emphasized since the beginning of the conflict with Iran that he gave the U.S. military broad authority to operate in the war against Iran, often criticizing restrictive rules of engagement designed to reduce the risk of mistakes and civilian casualties.

“Our soldiers have maximum authority personally approved by the President and me,” Hegseth said at a briefing a few days after the war began.

He added that the rules of engagement were “bold and precise” and intended to “unleash American power, not constrain it.”

These statements are now being reconsidered after evidence emerged suggesting that the destruction of a school in Iran in the early hours of the conflict was likely caused by a U.S. missile strike, according to preliminary military investigation findings reported by the New York Times. In response to questions about the incident, Hegseth repeatedly emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that the U.S. military does not target civilian objects.

“We are certainly investigating this. But the only side in this conflict targeting civilians is Iran,” Hegseth said last week, speaking to reporters from the presidential plane alongside President Trump.

Analysts told the New York Times that key questions for the investigation include how strict the rules were for identifying and verifying targets, and whether statements about “maximum authority on the battlefield” led to faster and less cautious attack planning. Traditionally, U.S. military doctrine emphasizes caution to avoid civilian casualties, particularly during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where commanders implemented stricter rules of engagement to gain local support.

What Pentagon's manual says

According to the Pentagon’s manual on the law of war, the military must, when planning and executing attacks, take all possible measures in good faith based on available information to confirm that a target is indeed military. Hegseth, however, has previously criticized this approach, and as a former infantry officer and later television commentator, he often spoke against strict rules of engagement, arguing they could increase risks to U.S. soldiers.

In his 2024 book War Against the Warrior, Hegseth also questioned the need to adhere to the Geneva Conventions and criticized military lawyers. After being appointed Secretary of Defense by President Trump, Hegseth reportedly removed senior legal advisors in the military branches and closed Pentagon offices tasked with preventing civilian casualties in operations. In the first days of the war against Iran, Hegseth publicly emphasized that the rules of engagement were minimized.

“Unlike traditional allies who hesitate to use force, we operate on our own terms, with maximum authority and without ‘stupid’ rules of engagement,” he said on March 2. However, as new data on the school strike emerged, Hegseth softened his tone. At a press conference on Tuesday, he said no country takes more precautions to avoid civilian casualties than the United States.

“No country in the history of warfare has tried in so many ways to avoid civilian casualties,” Hegseth said, adding that this is often underappreciated by the public. According to Iranian officials, around 175 civilians, mostly children, were killed in the attack. Officials familiar with preliminary investigation results said the strike was based on outdated intelligence, and it remains unclear why the information was not further verified.

The school building had previously been part of a military base but was separated and converted into a civilian facility between 2013 and 2016. The Pentagon said only that the incident is under investigation and did not provide further details or specify who is leading it. Some retired U.S. commanders warned that rules of engagement matter not only for legal and moral reasons but also for strategic interests. Retired U.S. Army General Mark Hertling said attacks causing civilian deaths can provoke strong anti-American sentiment and hinder political objectives in the war.

“You don’t want to turn the entire population against the United States. If you bomb indiscriminately, as may have been the case in several instances, including the girls’ school, it would negate any chance of a positive regime change,” Hertling said.

The air-strike

The attack occurred on the morning of February 28, when the U.S. and Israel struck the primary and preschool institution “Shajareh Tayebe” in Minab, Hormozgan province, killing 175 students and teachers. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed being “deeply disturbed” by reports of the bombing, and Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the memory of those killed “will remain forever etched in the heart of Iran.”

The United States and Israel carried out so-called “preventive strikes” on Iran on the morning of March 28, following unsuccessful rounds of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Iran subsequently launched massive retaliatory attacks against Israel and U.S.-linked targets across the Middle East.