Defense Secretary Hegseth Says U.S. Still Investigating Attack on Iranian Elementary School

Shajareh Tayyebeh School in Iran after being hit by an attack on Saturday. (Twitter/@araghchi)

JAKARTA - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview aired Sunday that the United States was still investigating an attack on a school in Iran that killed at least 168 children.

"We are still investigating, and that's all I will say today. But what I want to emphasize to you and the world is that unlike our enemy, Iran, we have never targeted civilians," Defense Secretary Hegseth told CBS' "60 Minutes," CNN reported (9/3).

In the interview conducted on Friday, Defense Secretary Hegseth did not deny reports that the US was likely responsible, saying, "I've said we're investigating."

However, one day after the interview was conducted, President Donald Trump told reporters, he believed Iran was responsible for the attack.

Defense Secretary Hegseth, who stood next to President Trump on Air Force One during the comments, defended his response that the United States was still investigating.

But the Pentagon chief added, "The only party targeting civilians is Iran."

As previously reported, Iranian officials said the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls' School in the Iranian city of Minab, quoted from Anadolu.

Governor Minab Mohammad Radmehr said the attack hit the school directly as classes were underway, killing girls aged between 7 and 12. The building was largely destroyed, and part of its concrete roof collapsed on the classroom.

Iranian officials said 168 people were killed and at least 95 were wounded in the attack.

Iran accused the US and Israel of carrying out the attack, while the Israeli military said it was unaware of any Israeli or US attack in the area.

Israel denied involvement in the deadly attack. Military spokesman Nadav Shoshani told US public broadcaster NPR on Monday that Israeli soldiers were unaware of any operation in the area.

"At this time we are not aware of any IDF (army) operations in the area," Shoshani said.

"I don't know who is responsible for the bombing," he added.