Resolution Criteria

On February 28, the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school for girls in Iran was hit by a missile, killing at least 175 Iranians, most of them grade-school children. This market resolves YES if Trump makes a public statement that constitutes an apology for U.S. responsibility for the bombing before this market closes. An apology must include acknowledgment of U.S. responsibility and expression of regret or remorse. The statement can be made via press conference, social media, official statement, or other public communication.

Background

Preliminary findings from a military investigation indicate that the U.S. is responsible for the deadly missile strike, with blame assigned to "outdated data" on the target provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency. Trump told reporters, without citing evidence, that he believes the deadly strike on a girls' primary school in southern Iran last weekend was "done by Iran." A reporter questioned Trump on why he is the only person in his government claiming that Iran bombed its own school, as other officials have not made such statements. Trump has been giving contradicting answers about the incident over the past week—in early instances, he blamed Iran for the bombing, but more recently, he has claimed that he does not know the details of the strike.

Considerations

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted Trump "is not making anything up," and that he is making statements as a "feeling based on fact," and added that Trump would accept the findings of the Pentagon's investigation. However, Trump has not yet acknowledged U.S. responsibility despite the preliminary military findings, instead maintaining ambiguity about the incident.

This description was generated by AI.