Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had promised to offer "no quarter" to Iran during a Pentagon press briefing about the ongoing war on Iran, which Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz) countered by stating that this would violate the law of armed conflict and would be an illegal order. This is a violation of international humanitarian law, the Hague and Geneva Conventions, which states it is illegal to declare that no quarter will be given. The number of federal personnel tasked with minimising harm to civilians in war has been significantly reduced since President Donald Trump took office. The Iran war has already cost at least 13 U.S. military service members and over 1,400 Iranians their lives, including dozens of schoolgirls killed in an airstrike.