US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused Iran of allegedly launching missiles from "schools," amid criticism of the US for a strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed more than 160 people, mostly children.

"They deliberately launch missiles from schools and hospitals, hitting innocents, because they know their military forces are being systematically degraded and destroyed," he said.

However, while US Central Command has reported that Iran launches munitions from civilian areas, Hegseth provided no evidence that missiles were actually launched from school grounds. A CNN analysis indicates the strike on the elementary school was most likely carried out by the US.

When asked what measures the Pentagon is taking to minimize civilian casualties in Iran, Hegseth stated: "No country takes more precautions to avoid civilian casualties than the United States." "If events occur that require investigation, we will investigate them," he added. "Open-source information is not a reliable way to determine what happened and what did not."