The Pentagon is distancing itself from President Donald Trump’s assertions that he would bomb Iranian cultural sites.
Such attacks would violate international prohibitions. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says the U.S. will “follow the laws of armed conflict.”
When asked if that ruled out targeting cultural sites, Esper said, “That’s the laws of armed conflict.” The split between the president and his Pentagon chief comes amid heightened tensions with Tehran following a U.S. strike that killed the head of Iran’s elite Quds force, Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
