Hegseth ignored Centcom, cut program ahead of Iran school strike: Report

Recent reports indicate that Pete Hegseth made the decision to cut the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) program in 2025. According to coverage from The Hill, this decision was made despite warnings from Centcom, and the cut occurred ahead of a strike on a school in Iran. The action has drawn significant scrutiny regarding the protocols in place to prevent civilian casualties during military operations, with RawStory describing the program as one that had previously kept troops from killing civilians. Detailed reporting from ProPublica emphasizes that top military commanders explicitly told Hegseth not to cut the civilian protection program.

This reporting further notes that a poll showed support or evidence regarding the importance of the program, yet Hegseth proceeded with the cuts regardless of these warnings. The Hill and ProPublica are among the primary outlets documenting the friction between the leadership's decision-making and the advice provided by military command structures concerning civilian safety. Context for this trend is provided by Attack of the Fanboy, which questions the specific motivations behind why Pete Hegseth chose to cut the CHMR program in 2025. The CHMR program was designed to mitigate civilian harm and provide a response mechanism when non-combatants were affected by military strikes.

The timing of the program's removal is now being linked directly to the subsequent strike on a school in Iran, highlighting a potential gap in civilian protection measures that the program was intended to fill. Future attention will likely focus on the specific reports detailing the connection between the removal of the CHMR program and the operational failures leading to the Iran school strike. Observers will be watching for further disclosures from the commanders who cautioned Hegseth and any official responses regarding the poll mentioned by ProPublica. The coverage suggests that the sequence of events—from the warnings by top commanders to the actual cutting of the program and the subsequent strike—will remain a central point of contention.