Shia Muslim Foundation Supports Congressional Call for Answers on Reported Civilian Deaths in Iran
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2026
Media contact: Rahat Husain, Executive Director, Shia Muslim Foundation
rahat@shiamuslimfoundation.com | shiamuslimfoundation.com
SMF backs Rep. Sarah Elfreth and 73 House colleagues in urging the Defense Department to account for civilian harm and to protect civilian life
SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 30, 2026 — The Shia Muslim Foundation (SMF) today expressed its support for a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, co-signed by Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md., 3rd District), that asks the Department of Defense for a full public accounting of reported civilian deaths from U.S. military operations in Iran and for steps to prevent further civilian harm.
The letter, dated Oct. 8, 2026, was led by Reps. Yassamin Ansari (Ariz.), Sara Jacobs (Calif.) and Jason Crow (Colo.) and signed by 74 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Rep. Elfreth, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. It was copied to Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command.
The letter raises “grave concern” about reports of civilian casualties at a wedding in the town of Kuhestak, Iran, on Sept. 1, 2026. According to the letter, five civilians were killed, including a 4-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy, and dozens were injured. The letter notes that the Department “has not publicly acknowledged responsibility for this incident,” while citing a Washington Post report that there is a “high likelihood” the United States was responsible. The Defense Department has said it is looking into the reports and that the U.S. military “never targets civilians,” according to Stars and Stripes.
The lawmakers also point to a Feb. 28 strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran, that the letter says killed a reported 175 civilians, including 120 children. They write that more than six months later the Department “has still not publicly acknowledged responsibility for the strike nor released the findings of its investigation.”
“We are deeply alarmed by the continued pattern of civilian casualties resulting from U.S. operations in the war in Iran, and the apparent lack of action and accountability from the Department,” the lawmakers wrote. They added: “Acknowledging such incidents, accepting responsibility, and learning from them makes our forces stronger, more effective, and an example to the world.”
The letter asks the Department to answer six sets of questions by Oct. 26, 2026. They include whether U.S. forces carried out the Kuhestak strike; whether an independent investigation has been opened and when it will finish; when Congress and the public will receive the findings of the Minab investigation; and what concrete steps the Department has taken to prevent civilian harm in targeting. The letter also says that staffing for the Department’s civilian harm mitigation and response programs has reportedly been sharply reduced.
“Every civilian life matters, whoever and wherever they are. The Shia Muslim Foundation supports the call for a full, public accounting of reported civilian deaths, including the deaths of children, and for stronger measures to keep families out of harm’s way. Transparency and accountability honor those who were lost and protect the living,” said Rahat Husain, executive director of the Shia Muslim Foundation.
SMF has met with Rep. Elfreth to discuss mosque safety and other concerns of Maryland’s Muslim communities, and values her continued engagement.
SMF’s support is focused on one principle: the protection of civilian life and the right of families, in any country, to be safe from harm. SMF encourages the Department of Defense to respond fully to Congress and to make the findings of its civilian-harm investigations public.
SMF is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. It does not endorse candidates or political parties.
Sources: Letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Oct. 8, 2026 (crow.house.gov); Rep. Yassamin Ansari press release (ansari.house.gov); Stars and Stripes, Sept. 4, 2026.
About the Shia Muslim Foundation
The Shia Muslim Foundation (SMF) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Maryland. Its mission is to advance the civic rights of American Shia Muslims, provide direct community support, and serve as a credible and representative voice for the Shia Muslim community in engagement with government at all levels. Learn more at shiamuslimfoundation.com.
Media contact
Rahat Husain, Executive Director
Shia Muslim Foundation
rahat@shiamuslimfoundation.com
shiamuslimfoundation.com
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