Hegseth: ‘No Country Takes More Measures to Minimize Civilian Harm Than the United States’

Reflecto News | US Military Policy | Pentagon

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the United States has a superior record in protecting civilian lives, stating that no country on Earth takes more precautions to minimize collateral damage than the U.S. military.

The statement, delivered amid rising concerns about civilian casualties in the war with Iran, was met with a mixture of support from Republican committee members and skepticism from Democrats who cited mounting evidence of unintended civilian deaths from U.S. airstrikes.

“I know that there is no country on planet Earth that takes more measures to ensure that civilian harm or civilian casualties are minimized than the United States of America and this War Department. That is a fact.” — Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense

⚖️ Hegseth’s Core Argument: Training, Targeting, and Compliance

Hegseth’s claim rests on three pillars:

• ROE (Rules of Engagement): The U.S. military operates under some of the strictest rules of engagement in the world, requiring multiple layers of approval before a strike is authorized.
• Precision Munitions: The U.S. possesses an arsenal of precision-guided munitions designed to hit specific targets with minimal blast radius, including the GBU‑39 SDB, JASSM-ER, and Hellfire R9X “flying Ginsu” knife missile.
• Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) Training: All US service members receive training on the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC), including the principles of distinction and proportionality.

Proponents of Hegseth’s view argue that, compared to Russia, China, or Iran—which have frequently struck hospitals, schools, and marketplaces with unguided munitions—the U.S. record is demonstrably better in both intent and execution.

The Pentagon has consistently maintained that it investigates credible reports of civilian casualties from its operations, and that when mistakes occur, they are acknowledged, and policy changes are implemented. Recent examples of such investigations include the reviews of airstrikes in Syria targeting ISIS leaders that reportedly killed civilians, and the investigation into the March 1 drone attack on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait that killed six U.S. service members—a case Hegseth declined to discuss during the same hearing .

💔 The Other Side of the Argument

Democrats and human rights groups were quick to challenge Hegseth’s “fact” claim.

Key counterarguments include:

• Port Shuaiba (March 1, 2026) : Six US troops were killed when air defense systems failed to stop Iranian drones at a base in Kuwait. Rep. Ryan questioned why force protection measures weren’t deployed, and the incident remains under investigation.
• Yemen (2025–26): US airstrikes against Houthi missile launchers reportedly killed dozens of civilians living near military sites, according to local reports that the Pentagon disputes .
• Lack of Transparency: Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have accused the Pentagon of underreporting civilian casualties, citing the “signature strike” program under the prior administration (which was discontinued under Biden).
• Drones and AI Targeting: Critics worry that automated target recognition software could increase civilian casualties if not properly supervised.

Hegseth’s statement, while defensible in terms of official military protocols, ignores the fact that even “clean” strikes in urban environments can have devastating effects when militants embed themselves in civilian neighborhoods—a tactic used by adversaries (Iran, Russia, and terrorist groups) that the U.S. cannot entirely avoid .

🌍 International Comparisons

Hegseth’s claim that the U.S. has the “most” robust civilian protection measures is difficult to quantify, but independent assessments offer an objective benchmark.

Comparative Civilian Harm Mitigation:

• European Allies: Germany and France have even stricter ROEs (often requiring parliamentary approval for strikes) but fewer high‑intensity combat operations to test them.
• Russia: Indiscriminate bombing of Ukrainian cities, use of unguided munitions, and deliberate strikes on infrastructure (energy grid, grain silos) have caused thousands of civilian deaths. Russia has not conducted any systematic civilian casualty investigations.
• Iran: Use of ballistic missiles and drones against civilian targets in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, with no transparency about civilian harm.
• China: Limited overseas combat operations, making direct comparison difficult.

If measured by documented civilian casualties per strike, the U.S. number is lower than Russia or Iran’s. But measuring by civilian casualties per combat operation, the U.S. number remains significant, particularly when fighting in densely populated areas like parts of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria—and now potentially Iran.

🔮 What Comes Next

• Internal Investigations: The Pentagon’s inspector general continues to probe the Port Shuaiba attack and other incidents in the Iran war
• Congressional Oversight: Democrats are pushing for an independent commission to track civilian casualties in Middle East operations
• Policy Adjustments: Hegseth has ordered a review of ROE to “ensure we are complying with the law while still being effective”

Whether Hegseth’s “fact” will withstand the scrutiny of the coming months remains to be seen. But his declaration left no ambiguity about the administration’s messaging: when it comes to sparing non‑combatants, the Secretary believes the U.S. has no equal .

📋 Key Takeaways for Reflecto News Readers

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