WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered new updates on the missile strike that killed over 170 people – mostly schoolchildren – at a school in Minab, Iran on February 28th, 2026.
Speaking from a press conference at the White House, the former Fox News host began: “Our warfighters in Minab have found a small bag of cocaine on the person of one of the girls at that school. Using satellite imagery, we can clearly see that this young girl was operating as a mid-level narcotics trafficker supporting a global narcotics trafficking network.” He showed what appeared to be a satellite image, with what might be a plastic bag and either some powder or half of a sandwich in one corner. We will not show the image here due to the graphic nature of it, and because it is mostly a blurry sandwich bag.
“We believe that this highly targeted precision strike carried out by our warriors has stopped the sale of tens – possibly even dozens – of dollars of narcotics reaching global markets, with those proceeds potentially funding the terror ring this small, young girl was believed to be involved in,” he continued. “This is a great example of the Warrior Ethos™ delivering unrivaled lethality when it comes to the defense of this great nation.”
When asked if there was evidence of other schoolchildren being implicated in narcotics trafficking, Hegseth said: “Look, there will be casualties in war. Sometimes our warfighters must neutralize 170 schoolgirls to stop one highly suspicious bag of cocaine. That’s just the reality of modern warfare. If anything, this strike shows the importance of acting quickly before that cocaine could be distributed to other schools.”
Hegseth added that analysts also believe the victim was a “beneficiary of DEI,” noting she was “likely only at the school because of gender-based educational policies.”
Pentagon officials later clarified that the amount of cocaine found at the scene was consistent with what experts call “mid-tier recreational distribution,” typically associated with narcotics operations generating between $8 and $27 annually before operating expenses.
Officials confirmed they are continuing to analyze satellite imagery to determine whether additional victims may have been involved in what they called “potential sandwich bag activity.”