Senators move to slash Hegseth travel budget over Iran school bombing, boat strikes

Senators move to slash Hegseth travel budget over Iran school bombing, boat strikes WASHINGTON (TNND) — Senators are cutting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel budget until the Pentagon provides more information about U.S. military strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats and the bombing of an Iranian girls' school at the start of the war with Iran. In the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which the Senate Armed Services Committee advanced last week, lawmakers included a provision that would withhold three-quarters of Hegseth's travel budget until the House and Senate Armed Services committees receive all unredacted information related to the deadly Feb. 28 strike on the Minab girls' school. Lawmakers also demanded unedited video footage of strikes against designated terrorist organizations in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean. Since Sept. 2, CENTCOM has conducted at least 64 strikes as part of Operation Southern Spear against what the Trump administration describes as drug-smuggling vessels, killing at least 208 alleged "narco-terrorists." Hegseth announced in March that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) had appointed an officer to lead an investigation into the strike on the girls' school, which killed more than 160 people. Preliminary findings indicate that a U.S. Tomahawk Land Attack Missile struck the school, according to U.S. officials cited by The New York Times. The report said the strike stemmed from a targeting error caused by outdated intelligence provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency. Asked about the report while in France on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said the incident remains under investigation. "I could have a report for you tomorrow. I would ask Pete Hegseth that question because they have it under investigation," Trump told reporters. Separately, the Defense Department inspector general said last month that it would examine whether the military followed its established targeting procedures during attacks on the alleged drug-smuggling boats. The framework, known as the Joint Targeting Cycle, includes commander intent, target development, analysis, decision-making, execution and assessment.