At U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, CENTCOM’s Admiral Cooper acknowledged Pentagon has not investigated reports that U.S. and Israeli strikes hit 22 schools and several hospitals in Iran

May 16, 2026 - On Thursday, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, pressed Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), over reports that U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran damaged 22 schools and multiple hospitals, potentially causing civilian casualties. 

During the exchange, Admiral Cooper acknowledged that the Pentagon has not conducted an investigation into public reports of U.S. strikes hitting several schools, hospitals, and civilian facilities in Iran. The exchange comes amid growing scrutiny of the Trump administration’s handling of civilian casualties in the war in Iran.

Last year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cut 90% of staff at the Pentagon’s civilian harm mitigation and response offices–including teams tasked with assessing strikes on civilian infrastructure and investigating civilian deaths.

Read the transcript of the exchange below: 

GILLIBRAND: “The second concern I have, Admiral Cooper, is how we’ve prosecuted this war to date. We have data and information publicly available in publications like the New York Times that 22 schools have been hit, hospitals, dozens of hospitals have been hit. We have regulations, we have the law of war, we have human rights obligations, we have our own targeting requirements to avoid civilian harm and death. Have you been implementing all the laws that are required under current law to minimize civilian death?”

ADMIRAL COOPER: “Senator, we have executed every operation consistent with the law of armed conflict. The subject of civilian casualties is a particular passion of mine. We pay attention to it. We follow all the procedures and have gone above and beyond to – in my case – personally warn the Iranian people of several instances during conflict where they were being potentially used as human targets.”

GILLIBRAND: “If they have been warned, how did we then bomb 22 schools?”

ADMIRAL COOPER: “There is no indication that we have that that has been corroborated. Zero–”

GILLIBRAND: How many schools have we bombed?

ADMIRAL COOPER: There is one active civilian casualty investigation from the 13,629 munitions.

GILLIBRAND: So, how do you explain the publicly available information that 22 schools have been hit and multiple hospitals?

ADMIRAL COOPER: There’s no way that we can corroborate that. No indication of that whatsoever, Senator.

GILLIBRAND: There’s no way you can corroborate or no indication of it. Which one?

ADMIRAL COOPER: No indication.

GILLIBRAND: Well, the indication is what’s publicly available. There is an indication. Have you investigated those claims?

ADMIRAL COOPER: We have not.

GILLIBRAND: Why have you not? If this is a passion of yours, if you believe that civilian casualties are not consistent with the law of war and not consistent with human rights obligations that our military regularly follows with great pride and great diligence, why have you not investigated those allegations when they’re publicly being made on the cover of the New York Times?

ADMIRAL COOPER: I’ll be happy to take a look at each instance. Our team will be able to do that.

GILLIBRAND: I would like a report from you, from your team, about whether there have been attacks that have resulted in the destruction of schools and hospitals, and if so, why? And how then, last, have you managed the 90% cut to the personnel who are supposed to avoid civilian targets?

ADMIRAL COOPER: I’m happy to provide any report, and I would invite you and every staff member here to come to Tampa to look at the process to see exactly how it works.

GILLIBRAND: Thank you. Thank you, Admiral.

Source: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand