Trump says Iran at fault for strike on girls school

The president’s comments on the strike are a departure from past White House posturing.

President Donald Trump salutes as an Army carry team moves the flag-draped transfer case containing the remains of U.S. Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, who was killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran, March 7, 2026, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. | Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

President Donald Trump on Saturday denied U.S. involvement in a strike that killed more than 165 people at a girls’ elementary school in Southern Iran, instead placing the blame on Iran.

When asked aboard Air Force One Saturday whether the U.S. conducted the Feb. 28 strike, Trump said, without evidence, “No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, standing next to the president, took a more cautious tone, saying the government is still “investigating” the attack but adding, “The only side that targets civilians is Iran.”

© Politico