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Jun 18, 20261
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Senators Block Hegseth Travel Funds Until Pentagon Releases Civilian Harm Investigations
Senators are blocking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel funds until the Pentagon releases investigations into multiple civilian casualty incidents, including a February 2026 strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed over 165 people, strikes near Venezuela that killed at least 208 people, and strikes in Yemen in April 2025.



Quick Facts
Who
Pete Hegseth
What
Airstrike on Minab elementary school in Iran
When
February 28, 2026
Where
Iran
- Airstrike on Minab elementary school in Iran
- Pentagon campaign against drug-trafficking boats near Venezuela
- U.S. military strikes in Yemen against Houthi rebels
- Congressional restriction of Defense Secretary travel funds
- National Defense Authorization Act provisions requiring investigation releases
Senators from both parties are leveraging funding restrictions to force the Pentagon to release multiple overdue investigations into civilian casualties from U.S. military operations. As part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, lawmakers have restricted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel funds, preventing spending of more than 25% until the Pentagon submits unredacted civilian harm investigations and supporting documents.
The primary focus is a February 28, 2026, airstrike on the Minab elementary school in Iran that occurred on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. The strike killed more than 165 people, predominantly children, at a campus adjacent to a Revolutionary Guard base. U.S. officials have preliminarily acknowledged American responsibility for the strike, attributing it to outdated intelligence. The Pentagon's investigation into the incident is believed to have been completed in May 2026, but Congress has not yet received the report.
Beyond the Iran school strike, senators are also demanding the Pentagon release unedited video footage of U.S. strikes against suspected drug-trafficking boats near Venezuela. A monthslong Pentagon campaign in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean has killed at least 208 people, with evidence suggesting that in some cases follow-on strikes have killed survivors—a practice experts say violates military law and rules of engagement.
Additionally, lawmakers are pressing for three separate investigations into strikes conducted in Yemen in April 2025 against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. These include a port strike that killed at least 70 people and wounded more than 170, and an airstrike on a residential neighborhood in Sanaa that killed at least four people and wounded 16. U.S. Central Command justified the port strike as targeting fuel supplies and illegal revenue sources used by Houthis to fund attacks across the region.
Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, stated that the defense package "forces the Secretary to be more accountable to Congress and will prevent many errors of the past from being repeated in the future." The Pentagon has not immediately responded to requests for comment on the withheld travel funds or timeline for releasing the investigations.
Why This Matters
This action represents a rare bipartisan congressional effort to enforce transparency and accountability in military operations involving civilian casualties. By weaponizing budget authority, senators are pressuring the Pentagon to release investigations that have been withheld from Congress—including a major incident that killed over 165 children. For readers, this signals growing legislative scrutiny of military operations, potential policy shifts on rules of engagement, and the stakes of congressional oversight in preventing future civilian harm.
Timeline & Sources
Feb 28, 2026
WireU.S. airstrike on Minab elementary school in Iran kills 165+ people
Jun 18, 2026
WireSenate files National Defense Authorization Act with provisions blocking Hegseth travel funds until investigations released