Republican Senator Issues Public Apology Over Bombing Of Iranian School

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) received widespread praise this week after publicly apologizing and acknowledging that a U.S. strike may have mistakenly hit a girls’ elementary school in Iran, killing more than 160 people — most of them children.

Speaking Monday evening with NBC News reporter Sahil Kapur, Kennedy addressed the strike with unusual candor.

“It was terrible. We made a mistake,” Kennedy told Kapur when asked about the bombing of the girls’ school. “Other countries do that sort of thing intentionally, like Russia. We would never do that intentionally. I think the department is investigating it now, and I’m sorry. I’m just so sorry it happened. It was a mistake.”

Kennedy’s response stood in contrast to earlier statements from President Donald Trump, who initially denied that the United States was responsible.

Late last week, when asked whether the U.S. bombed the school, Trump replied, “No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.” (RELATED: Verified Video Raises Questions About Deadly Strike Near Iranian School)

On Monday, however, Trump shifted his position, telling reporters, “I just don’t know enough about it. I think it’s something that I was told is under investigation.”

“But Tomahawks are used by others, as you know,” Trump added when pressed further. “Numerous other nations have Tomahawks. They buy them from us, but I will certainly, whatever the report shows, I’m willing to live with that report.”

Kennedy’s empathetic and direct answer drew praise from across the political spectrum, including from several Democrats in the Senate.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) shared Kapur’s reporting and wrote on social media, “I think it’s important a handful of Republican Senators (and it’s just a handful) are saying things like this. But as immoral as bombing an elementary school is, it’s just as wrong that Trump is pretending it didn’t happen.”

According to a Reuters report, U.S. military investigators believe the strike that hit the all-girls’ elementary school in southern Iran was likely carried out by the United States. The report cited two U.S. officials familiar with the early findings of the investigation.

The strike occurred amid an escalating conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Over the weekend, U.S. and Israeli forces launched a series of attacks on Iranian targets in a campaign that Trump said could last at least a month.

Those initial strikes reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei along with dozens of senior Iranian officials. The bombing campaign also included the strike on the girls’ school in the southern city of Minab.

Iranian authorities say at least 175 people were killed in the school bombing, the majority of them young girls.

Reuters reported that investigators are still working to determine key details surrounding the strike, including what evidence led to the tentative assessment, what type of munition was used, who was responsible, and why the school was hit. (RELATED: How Media Coverage Is Shaping Views Of Trump’s Iran Operation)

The Trump administration has faced mounting questions about the incident.

Both White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said this week that the matter is under review.

During a press briefing, BBC State Department correspondent Tom Bateman pressed Hegseth for additional information about the strike.

“Can you give us an update on what the administration knows, what you know now about the reported strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran on Saturday?” Bateman asked.

Hegseth replied, “All I know, all I can say is that we’re investigating that. We of course never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.”

Bateman followed up, noting that several days had passed since the strike and asking whether the U.S. had determined whose munition was used.

Hegseth again responded briefly: “We’re investigating it.”

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