Muslim civil rights and advocacy group says that if U.S. was responsible, Hegseth and any military officials responsible should be removed from their positions
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/1/26) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Congress to conduct a transparent and independent investigation into the reported massacre of 165 schoolgirls and teachers at an Iranian elementary school in a bombing reportedly perpetrated by the United States or Israel amid their joint bombing of Iran.
CAIR added that if the United States was responsible for the attack, Secretary Pete Hegseth should be impeached and the military officials responsible for ordering the attack should be removed from their posts.
[NOTE: A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that only 25 percent of Americans support the U.S. strikes on Iran.]
According to media reports, at least 148 people were killed in the attack on the girls’ school in Minab, located in southern Iran. The reported death toll includes children and school staff.
In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:
“We strongly condemn the massacre of Iranian schoolgirls and teachers at an elementary school perpetrated during the U.S.-Israel bombing of Iran. Killing children at an elementary school is exactly the type of war crime we have come to expect from Israel, and the American people must not tolerate such crimes from either our own government or governments funded by our tax dollars.
“No one should trust the Pentagon or the Israeli military to investigate themselves. Relevant congressional committees must conduct a swift, transparent and independent investigation into this war crime. If the United States did indeed commit this massacre, Pete Hegseth and any U.S. military officials involved in ordering the attack must be removed from their posts. If the Netanyahu regime killed these children, it would be no surprise given its pattern of obsessively bombing civilians, and its latest crime would be another reason why the U.S. must stop funding Israel’s crimes.”
“We need answers. We need accountability. Most importantly, we need an end to this illegal war before more people die.”
Yesterday, CAIR encouraged all Americans to contact the White House and their members of Congress to demand an end to the Trump administration’s “unnecessary, unjustified, and unconstitutional” regime-change war launched against Iran for Israel’s benefit.
TAKE ACTION NOW: TELL CONGRESS: NO U.S. WAR WITH IRAN
Last week, CAIR urged all Americans to contact their members of Congress and demand support for the bipartisan Khanna–Massie War Powers Resolution to block President Trump from launching an unauthorized war against Iran.
Last year, CAIR also condemned Israel’s unilateral offensive strikes on Iran and called on the Trump administration to immediately halt all U.S. weapons transfers and military aid to the Netanyahu government.
CAIR previously issued a statement warning President Trump that the Netanyahu government’s insistence that the U.S. adopt a “zero-enrichment” demand in negotiations was meant to scuttle the talks and lead to war, which is exactly what happened.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com