Iran’s top security official blamed President Trump and Israel on Thursday for the deaths of children after a bomb hit an Iranian school on the opening days of the joint operation against the Islamic republic.
Ali Larijani, posting on X, accused American and Israeli “criminals” of “staining the theory of ‘peace through strength’ with blood” after the bombing in the city of Minab.
Iranian state media said the bomb killed at least 175 people, many of them children, on Saturday.
“Mr. Trump! Was this the anthem you composed for freedom in Iran?!” Mr. Larijani posted. “God exposes the deceivers with their own hands.”
The administration on Wednesday said it was investigating the source of the strike that hit the school.
Asked if the U.S. carried out the strike, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Not that we know of.”
“The Department of War is investigating this matter,” she said.
Ms. Leavitt said that, unlike the Iranian side, the U.S. does not target civilians.
“I would caution you from pointing the finger at the United States of America when it comes to targeting civilians because that’s not something that these armed forces do,” she said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also addressed the situation.
“All I can say is that we’re investigating that,” Mr. Hegseth said Wednesday. “We, of course, never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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