The Pentagon is distancing itself from President Trump’s assertion that he would bomb Iranian cultural sites. International law protects such sites from attack.
FILE — In this Jan. 19, 2019 file photo the shrine of Iran's revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini is seen, just outside of Tehran, Iran. The ancient and rich cultural landscape of Iran has become a potential U.S. military target as Washington and Tehran stumble toward a possible open conflict.
The split between the president and his Pentagon chief came amid heightened tensions with Tehran following a U.S. drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Trump had twice warned that he would hit Iranian cultural sites if Tehran retaliates against the U.S. “We have targeted 52 Iranian sites , some at a very high level & important to Iran & Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD,” he tweeted.
The Pentagon has long had a list of potential targets both inside Iran as well as those associated with Iran throughout the Middle East. Those targets and war plans are routinely updated, including during the recent uptick in hostilities.
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