U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accused Iran of deliberately moving rocket launchers and missile systems into civilian neighborhoods, including areas near schools and hospitals, in an effort to complicate U.S. and allied strikes.

This statement came during a Pentagon press briefing around March 10, 2026, amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran (now in its second week, referred to in some reports as “Operation Epic Fury”). Hegseth described Iran’s leadership as “desperate and scrambling like the terrorist cowards they are,” claiming U.S. intelligence shows Iran using these tactics to shield military assets and deter attacks by increasing the risk of civilian casualties from retaliatory or targeted strikes.

He emphasized that “no nation takes more precautions to ensure there’s never targeting of civilians than the United States of America,” and that any incidents would be investigated, while dismissing open-source reports as insufficient for determining responsibility. Hegseth made these comments in response to questions about civilian deaths, particularly in the context of a controversial early strike in the conflict.

The accusations coincide with heightened scrutiny over reported civilian casualties from U.S. strikes, including a deadly incident at a girls’ elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, on or around February 28, 2026 (the opening days of the campaign). Iranian officials reported over 165 deaths there, mostly children, with open-source analysis (including video evidence cited by outlets like The New York Times and Bellingcat) suggesting a U.S. Tomahawk missile was involved. The Pentagon has said the matter is under investigation, while President Trump and others have pushed back on attributions of blame to the U.S.

Hegseth’s remarks appear part of a broader Pentagon narrative framing Iran as intentionally endangering its own civilians through human shield tactics, while defending U.S. operations as precise and focused on destroying Iran’s missile stockpiles, launchers, defense industry, and navy. The conflict has seen thousands of strikes, with Iran responding via missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf neighbors, further escalating regional tensions.