Day 481

Pentagon IG: Hegseth Dismantled Civilian Harm Safeguards During Active War (May 2026)

On May 15, 2026, the Pentagon Inspector General released a report finding that zero of the 11 core objectives of the 2022 Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP) had been fully implemented, and that all 133 required actions remained incomplete. Secretary Hegseth had reduced civilian harm mitigation staff across combatant commands by over 90%. The Army had defunded the database used to track and verify civilian casualties. The report was released the same day CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper told Congress he had 'no means to corroborate' reports of US strikes on hospitals and schools in Iran. The dismantlement of these safeguards — required by federal law under 10 U.S.C. provisions enacted in the 2022 NDAA — directly enabled a pattern of uninvestigated civilian deaths throughout the 2026 Iran war, including the Minab school strike.