Tehran: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has criticized a US congressional hearing on the performance of the country's secretary of war during the conflict with Iran, saying American lawmakers failed to address the humanitarian consequences of Washington's military campaign.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Baqaei expressed his disapproval in a post on X, noting it was a shame that the hearing focused solely on the financial costs of the conflict without raising a single question about the human dimension of the war. He emphasized America's responsibility for the "ruthless war against the Iranian nation," which he described as an illegal war of choice accompanied by numerous war crimes, citing Minab and Lamerd as specific examples.

On Tuesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate, discussing the financial implications of the war against Iran and advocating for nearly $70 billion in additional funding. However, the hearing's narrow focus on financial matters has drawn criticism from Iranian officials.

The conflict's devastating human impact was starkly illustrated on February 28, 2026, the first day of the recent US-Israeli war, when a missile strike destroyed Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Hormuzgan Province. This attack resulted in the deaths of at least 168 people, including schoolchildren. On the same day, strikes on civilian sites in the city of Lamerd, Fars Province, claimed at least 21 lives, with women and children among the victims. These incidents underscore the significant humanitarian toll of the conflict, which Iranian officials believe has been overlooked by US lawmakers.