President Donald Trump said Wednesday he does not plan to hold anyone accountable for the bombing of a school full of Iranian children during the Iran war, expressing surprise that a reporter would even ask about it. The incident occurred on the first day of the conflict.
White House Denials and Findings
The White House initially denied that the bombing had taken place, then accused the media of falling for Iranian propaganda. However, U.S. military investigators later concluded that U.S. forces were likely responsible for the deadly strike.
Speaking at the G7 summit in France, Trump dismissed the question as unusual, noting that the event happened "a long time ago." The bombing occurred at the end of February.
Exchange with Reporter
During the press conference, a reporter asked: "Can you now say whether you will hold anyone in your administration accountable for the strike on a school that killed more than 100 children?"
Trump replied: "No. It's such a strange question to be asked. It's a long time ago. Mistakes are made. I would ask Pete Hegseth that question."
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations stated that 150 students died in the attack on the girls' school in southern Iran.
Trump's Justification
Trump appeared to consider the deadly bombing acceptable because it was an accident. Under international humanitarian law, a deliberate attack on a school would be a war crime.
"Nobody did that on purpose," Trump told the reporter. "Mistakes are made. War is nasty."
The president returned to the subject later, making an unusual boast about his perceptiveness: "Bad things happen in war. War is a nasty place. I see it, maybe better than anybody has ever seen it."
