pete hegseth told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday morning ET that the United States is investigating which munition struck Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, southern Iran. He did not provide information clarifying whose weapon was responsible for the strike that left the concrete building demolished and dozens of young girls dead. The remark came on day five of the US-Israeli war on Iran as military and diplomatic pressure intensified.
Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon briefing: key assertions
At the briefing, pete hegseth said, “All I can say, is that we’re investigating, ” when pressed about the school strike four days earlier. He emphasized that US forces “never target civilian targets” and outlined what he described as steps taken to ensure defensive posture and build offensive combat power. Hegseth said the US moved “over 90%” of troops on American bases “out of the range of Iranian fire, ” and that neighboring Middle Eastern allies—Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait—”are all defending their people with their own combat capability with precision and restraint. “
Hegseth also addressed a separate event in the region: following reports that a missile launched from Iran and heading toward Turkish airspace was shot down by NATO air defence systems, he said there was “no sense” that the incident would trigger Article 5 of the NATO treaty. He framed the recent posture changes as a sequence in which US forces “quietly ensured that our defensive posture and power was in place” before building up offensive options.
Immediate reactions and confirmations from the Pentagon
Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, told the press: “All I can say, is that we’re investigating. ” He added that partner nations were both defending and collaborating with the United States on basing and overflight access. In a separate confirmation given on Wednesday morning ET, Hegseth said, “The leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed. ” The Department of Defense identified four of six US service members killed during a drone strike on an American base in Kuwait, a development Hegseth acknowledged the day after those identifications were announced.
Quick context
A missile directly hit Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, demolishing its concrete building and killing dozens of seven- to 12-year-old girls. Iran’s state media put the toll at up to 168 people after the incident four days earlier.
What happens next
The Pentagon has opened an investigation into the strike and plans further briefings as forensic work continues; pete hegseth signaled that officials will provide updates when investigations yield clearer attribution. Expect follow-up statements from the Department of Defense and continued diplomatic outreach with regional partners as militaries and governments assess the evidence and potential ramifications in the coming days.
