By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - Nearly every U.S. Senate Democrat signed a letter sent to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday requesting a "swift investigation" of airstrikes on a girls' school in Iran that killed scores of children and any other potential U.S. military actions causing civilian harm.
Reuters reported on March 5 that U.S. military investigators believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for the strike on the school on February 28, as U.S. and Israeli forces launched attacks on Iran.
"The results of this school attack are horrific. The majority of those killed in the strikes were girls between the ages of 7 and 12 years old. Neither the United States nor the Israeli Government has yet taken responsibility for this attack," the letter, signed by 46 senators, said.
The correspondence was signed by every member of the Senate Democratic caucus except John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a senator known for outspoken opinions and occasional defiance of the party. Asked for comment, Fetterman said he supported the military and Israel in the operation, known as Epic Fury.
"The United States never intentionally targets civilians, including its own citizens, unlike Iran. Everyone agrees it was a tragedy. Everyone agrees on performing a full investigation," he said in an emailed statement.
A Fetterman spokesperson said via email that the senator backs an investigation: "Whether the senator is on a letter or not, he fully stands behind a comprehensive investigation into this tragedy."
'WARRIOR ETHOS'
The letter asked for answers by March 18 to a series of questions, including whether U.S. forces conducted the strikes, what steps the military has taken to prevent and mitigate civilian harm and what role artificial intelligence tools have played in operations.
The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. Hegseth has vowed to restore a "warrior ethos" to the U.S. military and referred to rules of engagement, directives typically given to military forces during a conflict, as "stupid" in a recent press conference.
Iran's U.N. ambassador said on Tuesday the U.S.-Israeli strikes had killed more than 1,300 civilians.
No Republicans signed the letter. Members of President Donald Trump's party, who hold a 53-seat majority in the Senate, have almost unanimously backed his strategy on Iran, with only a handful expressing doubt about any aspect of the war.
The Democrats sent the letter a week after Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan resolution aiming to stop the air war and requiring that any hostilities against Iran be authorized by Congress. Every member of the Democratic caucus except Fetterman voted in favor of the resolution.
The lawmakers' latest comments came as they awaited a request the White House is expected to make for more funding for the war. Several congressional aides have said they expect Trump to ask for $50 billion, although others have said that estimate seemed low.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Deepa Babington)
