Pentagon rejects Trump threat to hit Iranian cultural sites

Pentagon on Monday distanced itself from President Donald Trump’s assertions that he would bomb Iranian cultural sites despite international prohibitions on such attacks. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said U.S. will “follow laws of armed conflict.” When asked if that ruled out targeting cultural sites, Esper said pointedly, “That’s laws of armed conflict.”

split between president and his Pentagon chief came amid heightened tensions with Tehran following a U.S. drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Trump had twice warned that he would hit Iranian cultural sites if Tehran retaliates against U.S.

Esper’s public comments reflected private concerns of or defense and military officials, who cited legal prohibitions on attacks on civilian, cultural and religious sites, except under certain, threatening circumstances.

Trump first raised prospect of targeting cultural sites in a tweet on Saturday and reiterated that view to reporters next day.

“We have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing 52 American hosts taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD," he tweeted.

His Twitter mess caught administration officials off-guard and prompted an immediate outcry from legal scholars, national security experts and Democratic lawmakers. But president stood by his threat following day.

“y’re allowed to kill our people. y’re allowed to torture and maim our people. y’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people,” he told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One. “And we’re t allowed to touch ir cultural sites? It doesn’t work that way.”

By international law, however, it does.

Specifically, 1954 Hague Convention says nations must “take all possible steps” to protect cultural property and shall refrain “from any act of hostility, directed against such property.” It also says nations must t use cultural sites for any threatening purposes that would make such locations a military target.

Pentagon has long had a list of potential targets both inside Iran as well as those associated with Iran throughout Middle East. Those targets and war plans are routinely updated, including during recent uptick in hostilities.

Officials won’t discuss list, but it is certain to include an array of Iranian military sites and capabilities, including missile, air defense and command and control locations.

Any targets would go through a lengthy vetting process within military and Pentagon to determine that y are legal, appropriate and proportionate to any Iranian action. Only after that process is complete would a list of potential sites go before president for approval.

Outside Pentagon, Trump's threats were met with condemnation.

“It shows that he is somewhat deranged about this," said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. “ pledge to attack cultural sites, likely, is a violation of international law.”

Kaine said that all Trump is doing “is escalating tensions and he seems to believe, 'I can strike you, but you can't strike me.' That's t way world works.” He added that Trump needs to confer with Congress.

threats also drew reaction from Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

“ targeting of sites of global cultural herit is abhorrent to collective values of our society,” museum leaders said in a statement. "At this challenging time, we must remind ourselves of global importance of protecting cultural sites – objects and places by which individuals, communities, and nations connect to ir history and herit.

Ahead of Esper’s comments, or administration officials tried to make clear that U.S. would follow law without directly contradicting president.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said that any U.S. military strikes inside Iran would be legal.

“We'll behave inside system,” Pompeo said. “We always have and we always will.”

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Associated Press writers Matw Lee, Robert Burns and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.