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GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — The leader of theJalisco New Generation Cartelwas buried Monday in a shiny golden casket with enormous flower wreaths and a large military presence in the state that gave name to one of Mexico's most powerful cartels.

Mexico Cartel Leader Death

A federal official confirmed thatNemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho," was buried in a cemetery in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city. Dozens of people accompanied the funeral procession, many carrying black umbrellas on a sunny day and with a band playing Mexican regional music known as banda.

The official who discussed the location requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case. The Attorney General's Office declined to confirm the location of El Mencho's burial for "security reasons."

There had been stepped up security since Sunday around a funeral home where large flower wreaths had been arriving without a name. Some did include the image of a rooster in flowers and Oseguera Cervantes was sometimes called the "Lord of the Roosters."

The Mexican army killed Oseguera Cervantes just over a week ago while attempting to capture him. He died from multiple bullet wounds, according to the death certificate obtained by The Associated Press.

The killing set off violence in some 20 states. The death certificate fits with a description of the operation to capture Oseguera Cervantes given by Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla, who had said thatthe cartel leader and two bodyguards had been badly woundedin a gunfight with soldiers outside a home in Tapalpa, Jalisco. The three died en route to a hospital.

The certificate specified that Oseguera Cervantes had bullet wounds to his chest, abdomen and legs.

His body was taken to Mexico City where an autopsy was performed and then thebody was turned over to his familyon Saturday, the Attorney General's Office said in a brief statement.

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The death certificate also notes that Oseguera Cervantes was to be buried, standard practice in cases of violent deaths to allow for additional forensic evidence to be gathered if needed in the future. The document did not say where the burial would take place.

Authorities' security concerns surrounding the burial location are well founded. Oseguera Cervantes' killing set offretaliation by the cartel in numerous states. More than 70 people died between the military operation and the violence that followed. The government has said that security operations continue against other high-ranking members of the cartel.

It customary for an air of mystery to surround the burials of drug lords in Mexico, something their supporters take advantage of to try to elevate them to legend. Within hours of El Mencho's death there were already ballads, known as narcocorridos, written about his killing.

In Culiacan, in neighboring Sinaloa state, home to a cartel of the same name, there is a cemetery known for its luxury crypts and mausoleums for one-time kingpins like Ignacio Coronel — an old associate of El Mencho — and Arturo Beltrán Leyva.

There was the drug lord who was famously killed twice, Nazario Moreno, leader of the violent and pseudo religious Knights Templar cartel who authorities said was killed in 2010 only to kill him for real in 2014.

Sometimes the bodies disappear, like in the case of Heriberto Lazcano, leader of the fearsome Zetas, whose body was stolen in 2012. Or they die under bizarre circumstances, like Amado Carrillo Fuentes, "Lord of the Skies," who died in a botched plastic surgery.

Sánchez reported from Mexico City. AP writer María Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Early Sunday morning, just as bars along Austin's bustling Sixth Street were winding down for the night, a barrage of gunfire tore through the popular entertainment district in the heart of Texas' capital, leaving three people dead and more than a dozen others injured.

Ryder Harrington, 19, and Savitha Shan, 21, were killed in the shooting, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference Monday. Police initially provided different ages.

A third person, 30-year-old Jorge Pederson, has also died as a result of the shooting, the police department said Monday, after authorities said one person injured was expected to be taken off life support.

While the motive for the deadly onslaught has not been confirmed, authorities are investigating whether the suspect - who was fatally shot by police - was inspired by this weekend'sUS and Israeli strikeson Iran, multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case said.

Investigators are also digging into the man's criminal history and his mental health records, sources said.

Here's what we know:

Was Iran a factor?

The suspect, identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, had not previously been on the radar of Austin police or the FBI, officials said Monday.

The suspect was wearing a shirt with an Iranian flag design on it underneath a hoodie printed with "Property of Allah," a law enforcement official told CNN.

Investigators are looking for connections, pouring through "thousands of hours of video" and interviewing witnesses, Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio division, said at a news conference Monday.

The investigation also involves sorting through a high volume of both digital and physical evidence, so "we don't want to speculate or make any guesses at this stage of the investigation as to what that motive ultimately was," he said.

A bevy of law enforcement officers arrived Sunday at a home connected to the suspect in Pflugerville, a suburb of Austin,CNN affiliate KEYEreported. Investigators hauled boxes of items from the home and examined a car in the driveway, KEYE reported.

Authorities searching the home were likely investigating computers and phones to determine if the suspect read any propaganda or left any writings indicating what he intended to do, an official told CNN.

After the initial scene was secured, police called federal officials to "address concerns of potential terrorism," Austin's police chief said Monday. Local police will rely on their federal partners to investigate whether, for instance, his clothing helped point to a motive, Davis added.

Who is the suspect?

Diagne entered the United States on March 13, 2000, on a B‑2 tourist visa, a Department of Homeland Security official told CNN. In June 2006, he adjusted his status to lawful permanent resident based on marriage to a US citizen. He naturalized on April 5, 2013.

Diagne was originally from Senegal, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told CNN.

Upon arriving in the US, Diagne initially settled in New York and eventually made his way to Texas, although it's not clear when, the official said. He had multiple addresses in the Lone Star State, the official added.

In 2022, he was arrested in Texas on a charge of collision with vehicle damage, a misdemeanor offense, according to the DHS official.

Authorities are also reviewing past mental health encounters the suspect had while living in Texas, multiple law enforcement officials have said.

CNN has reached out to the Austin Police Department and the FBI's San Antonio division for more details.

How did the shooting unfold?

The violence erupted along a stretch of Sixth Street, known for its dense concentration of bars and live music venues. The vibrant corridor is a short drive from the University of Texas at Austin, which has 55,000 students.

Authorities first received a call about a man shooting from a large SUV outside Buford's Backyard Beer Garden, Davis said.

"At one point, he put his flashers on, rolled down his window, and began using a pistol, shooting out of his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio and that were in front of the bar," Davis said.

The suspect then drove west on Sixth Street, parked his SUV and got out with a rifle, the police chief said. He then began shooting at people walking by, she said.

Authorities reached the suspect in less than a minute, Davis said.

"Our suspect was coming toward East Austin or East Sixth Street, officers were coming toward him, and at the intersection, he was shot and he was killed," Davis said.

Video from the scene shows law enforcement officers running toward the scene as people duck for cover. The deadly attack is among 56 mass shootings in the US so far this year, according to theGun Violence Archive.

Nathan Comeaux, a University of Texas senior, was celebrating two friends' 21st birthdays at Buford's when he left around 1:50 a.m. to grab some pizza from a food truck across the street, he told CNN. Shortly before 2 a.m., he heard the sound of 15 to 20 gunshots.

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"If either me or my friends had left a few minutes later, we would have been on the patio when the shooter was attacking Buford's," the 22-year-old recalled Monday.

After the initial barrage of gunfire ended, "I took out my phone to capture what was going on," Comeaux said. "I saw the suspect engage with the cops down the street from me. And then he was taken out by the police."

Who are the victims?

Harrington, the 19-year-old killed, was a former Texas Tech student, the university said in a statement toCNN affiliate KCBD.

His older brother, Reed Harrington, penned an warm tribute onFacebook, writing "I love you more than you will ever know. No matter how old you get, or how much taller than me you are, you will always be my little brother."

"Watching the man he had become, and seeing all the lives he touched, leaves me certain that this world was robbed of a great future," he said in the post, alongside photos of his brother.

Beta Theta PisaidHarrington was a member of its chapter at Texas Tech, joining the fraternity in the fall of 2024.

It described Harrington as someone who "had a rare ability to truly enjoy life to make people laugh, to make moments feel bigger, and to make ordinary days unforgettable," according to a Facebook post. "He made the world around him better simply by being in it." The fraternity held a candlelight vigil Monday night.

"We are saddened to learn of the tragic incident in Austin that resulted in the loss of life," Texas Tech said in a statement,KCBDreported. "Harrington had previously been enrolled at Texas Tech University, most recently during the Fall 2025 semester, but was not enrolled this semester. Our thoughts are with Ryder's family, friends, and all those affected by this devastating situation."

Shan, the 21-year-old killed, was a student at the University of Texas at Austin, according to her LinkedIn account.

UT Austin President Jim Davis confirmed a UT student was "among those who lost their lives," without naming Shan directly, but described her as the "child of loving parents" and "a loyal friend to many."

"It is devastating, and I know all of us are grieved by this horrible news and we will remember her," Davis wrote in a statement Monday.

A number of other UT students were hurt in the shooting, he said, and some of the injuries are "very serious."

While the shootings happened off campus, students "will see increased patrols this week across the University and in the West Campus neighborhood," Davis warned.

A community vigil will be held Tuesday evening on the UT campus, the university's Students Demand Action chapter said.

Pederson, the 30-year-old who authorities said died Monday, was described as a "beloved Minnesotan fighter" by mixed martial arts promoter Med City Fighting Championships.

"He was a fantastic fighter. One of our favorite people to interact with, throughout the years of our existence. Our condolences to all of his friends and family. It was an honor to have known him," MCFC said in aFacebookpost.

Authorities have not identified those injured and two people remain in critical condition, according to police.

Buford's Backyard Beer Garden expressed its condolences to the victims, writingon InstagramMonday: "These were young people with their whole lives ahead of them, and our thoughts and prayers are with every family impacted."

Paramedics in the area responded quickly, according to officials, as authorities praised emergency services for their quick response.

"We had more than 20 EMS resources that responded to the scene. We had all critical patients off the scene within 24 minutes, and all patients off the scene within 47 minutes," said Robert Luckritz, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services chief.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson offered his condolences to the victims and their families and praised first responders for their fearless, rapid response, saying "They definitely saved lives."

Gov.Greg Abbottcondemned the attack and directed the state's Department of Public Safety to increase patrols and law enforcement personnel in the Sixth Street area on weekends.

Abbott also warned the state would respond aggressively to anyone "using the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans." He ordered the Texas Military Department to activate patrols to protect communities and critical infrastructure, including energy facilities and ports.

"This act of violence will not define us," he said, "nor will it shake the resolve of Texans."

This story has been updated.

CNN's Sarah Dewberry, Alisha Ebrahimji, Chris Boyette, Holmes Lybrand, John Miller and Karina Tsui contributed to this report

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

Severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes, are increasingly likely in parts of the Plains and Midwest starting Wednesday and could last into the weekend, if not early next week from Texas to parts of the upper Midwest.

Almost on cue as March arrived, we're setting up a rather stuck weather pattern that will bring multiple days in a row of at least some severe thunderstorms in the nation's mid-section.

(MORE:Beware Of March For Tornadoes, Especially Recently)

Severe Threat Timing

While some thunderstorms may rumble across the mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys during the day, the main threat for a few severe thunderstorms is Tuesday night from parts of the Texas Panhandle and northern Oklahoma into southern Kansas and Missouri. Large hail is the main concern with these nighttime storms.

Cities: Oklahoma City, Wichita

Severe thunderstorms are most possible in the afternoon and evening from parts of northern Texas into the Ozarks. Large hail, damaging thunderstorm winds and a few tornadoes are possible.

More isolated strong to severe storms are possible as far north as the mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.

Cities:Dallas, Ft. Smith

Severe thunderstorms are most possible in the afternoon and evening along a feature known as adrylinein parts of western Texas into western Oklahoma and perhaps southwestern Kansas. Hail larger than golf balls, damaging thunderstorm winds and a few tornadoes are possible.

More isolated strong to severe storms are possible as far north as the Missouri Valley of Nebraska and Iowa.

Cities:Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls

Friday's severe weather threat may be more widespread, with more numeroussupercellthunderstorms capable of tornadoes, hail and destructive winds possible from parts of Texas to Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri in the afternoon and evening.

At least some severe thunderstorms with hail are possible as far north as southern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

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Cities:Dallas, Tulsa, Kansas City

This Weekend And Beyond

The story doesn't end, there.

We can't rule out some lingering strong to severe storms Saturday from the Ohio Valley and Appalachians to southeast Texas.

And a few isolated strong to severe storms are possible in parts of the South Sunday along and near a sagging and stalling frontal boundary.

Additional strong to severe storms are expected early next week as a strong cold front slices into the central U.S. as a strong upper-level low pressure system over northern Mexico finally gets kicked into the Plains.

Check back with us at weather.com for updates to this forecast.

(MAPS:7-Day US Forecast)

How Much Rain?

Rainfall is expected to be heavy at times with these storms.

NOAA's Weather Prediction Center has issued level 1 out of 4 risks for heavy rainfall for Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday across parts of the Southern Plains and the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.

Some areas in this zone may pick up over 3 inches of rain, where multiple rounds of thunderstorms occur. That could lead to flash flooding, particularly in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of eastern Oklahoma, western Arkansas and southwest Missouri.

Soaking A Drought

These parts of the country are very much in need of rainfall. Drought persists across much of the South, and the reason is actually fairly straightforward.

We have been under a La Niña this winter, which causes some significant impacts to our weather.

(MORE:La Niña Is Fading)

A La Niña occurs when trade winds moving from east to west across the Equator over the Pacific Ocean ramp up, pushing warm water to the Western Pacific. This forces cooler water to rise to the surface across the eastern region of the equatorial Pacific Ocean.

This simple change has a drastic impact on the weather around the world and is amplified in the winter.

In a typical La Niña winter, the jet stream is typically forced further north, leaving the South warmer and drier. That pattern sends most of the precipitation and cooler temperatures to the north.

Rob Shackelfordis a meteorologist and climate scientist at weather.com. He received his undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of Georgia studying meteorology and experimenting with alternative hurricane forecasting tools.

Early Sunday morning, just as bars along Austin's bustling Sixth Street were winding down for the night, a barrage of gunfire tore through the popular entertainment district in the heart of Texas' capital, leaving three people dead and more than a dozen others injured.

Ryder Harrington, 19, and Savitha Shan, 21, were killed in the shooting, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference Monday. Police initially provided different ages.

A third person, 30-year-old Jorge Pederson, has also died as a result of the shooting, the police department said Monday, after authorities said one person injured was expected to be taken off life support.

While the motive for the deadly onslaught has not been confirmed, authorities are investigating whether the suspect - who was fatally shot by police - was inspired by this weekend'sUS and Israeli strikeson Iran, multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case said.

Investigators are also digging into the man's criminal history and his mental health records, sources said.

Here's what we know:

Was Iran a factor?

The suspect, identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, had not previously been on the radar of Austin police or the FBI, officials said Monday.

The suspect was wearing a shirt with an Iranian flag design on it underneath a hoodie printed with "Property of Allah," a law enforcement official told CNN.

Investigators are looking for connections, pouring through "thousands of hours of video" and interviewing witnesses, Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio division, said at a news conference Monday.

The investigation also involves sorting through a high volume of both digital and physical evidence, so "we don't want to speculate or make any guesses at this stage of the investigation as to what that motive ultimately was," he said.

A bevy of law enforcement officers arrived Sunday at a home connected to the suspect in Pflugerville, a suburb of Austin,CNN affiliate KEYEreported. Investigators hauled boxes of items from the home and examined a car in the driveway, KEYE reported.

Authorities searching the home were likely investigating computers and phones to determine if the suspect read any propaganda or left any writings indicating what he intended to do, an official told CNN.

After the initial scene was secured, police called federal officials to "address concerns of potential terrorism," Austin's police chief said Monday. Local police will rely on their federal partners to investigate whether, for instance, his clothing helped point to a motive, Davis added.

Who is the suspect?

Diagne entered the United States on March 13, 2000, on a B‑2 tourist visa, a Department of Homeland Security official told CNN. In June 2006, he adjusted his status to lawful permanent resident based on marriage to a US citizen. He naturalized on April 5, 2013.

Diagne was originally from Senegal, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told CNN.

Upon arriving in the US, Diagne initially settled in New York and eventually made his way to Texas, although it's not clear when, the official said. He had multiple addresses in the Lone Star State, the official added.

In 2022, he was arrested in Texas on a charge of collision with vehicle damage, a misdemeanor offense, according to the DHS official.

Authorities are also reviewing past mental health encounters the suspect had while living in Texas, multiple law enforcement officials have said.

CNN has reached out to the Austin Police Department and the FBI's San Antonio division for more details.

How did the shooting unfold?

The violence erupted along a stretch of Sixth Street, known for its dense concentration of bars and live music venues. The vibrant corridor is a short drive from the University of Texas at Austin, which has 55,000 students.

Authorities first received a call about a man shooting from a large SUV outside Buford's Backyard Beer Garden, Davis said.

"At one point, he put his flashers on, rolled down his window, and began using a pistol, shooting out of his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio and that were in front of the bar," Davis said.

The suspect then drove west on Sixth Street, parked his SUV and got out with a rifle, the police chief said. He then began shooting at people walking by, she said.

Authorities reached the suspect in less than a minute, Davis said.

"Our suspect was coming toward East Austin or East Sixth Street, officers were coming toward him, and at the intersection, he was shot and he was killed," Davis said.

Video from the scene shows law enforcement officers running toward the scene as people duck for cover. The deadly attack is among 56 mass shootings in the US so far this year, according to theGun Violence Archive.

Nathan Comeaux, a University of Texas senior, was celebrating two friends' 21st birthdays at Buford's when he left around 1:50 a.m. to grab some pizza from a food truck across the street, he told CNN. Shortly before 2 a.m., he heard the sound of 15 to 20 gunshots.

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"If either me or my friends had left a few minutes later, we would have been on the patio when the shooter was attacking Buford's," the 22-year-old recalled Monday.

After the initial barrage of gunfire ended, "I took out my phone to capture what was going on," Comeaux said. "I saw the suspect engage with the cops down the street from me. And then he was taken out by the police."

Who are the victims?

Harrington, the 19-year-old killed, was a former Texas Tech student, the university said in a statement toCNN affiliate KCBD.

His older brother, Reed Harrington, penned an warm tribute onFacebook, writing "I love you more than you will ever know. No matter how old you get, or how much taller than me you are, you will always be my little brother."

"Watching the man he had become, and seeing all the lives he touched, leaves me certain that this world was robbed of a great future," he said in the post, alongside photos of his brother.

Beta Theta PisaidHarrington was a member of its chapter at Texas Tech, joining the fraternity in the fall of 2024.

It described Harrington as someone who "had a rare ability to truly enjoy life to make people laugh, to make moments feel bigger, and to make ordinary days unforgettable," according to a Facebook post. "He made the world around him better simply by being in it." The fraternity held a candlelight vigil Monday night.

"We are saddened to learn of the tragic incident in Austin that resulted in the loss of life," Texas Tech said in a statement,KCBDreported. "Harrington had previously been enrolled at Texas Tech University, most recently during the Fall 2025 semester, but was not enrolled this semester. Our thoughts are with Ryder's family, friends, and all those affected by this devastating situation."

Shan, the 21-year-old killed, was a student at the University of Texas at Austin, according to her LinkedIn account.

UT Austin President Jim Davis confirmed a UT student was "among those who lost their lives," without naming Shan directly, but described her as the "child of loving parents" and "a loyal friend to many."

"It is devastating, and I know all of us are grieved by this horrible news and we will remember her," Davis wrote in a statement Monday.

A number of other UT students were hurt in the shooting, he said, and some of the injuries are "very serious."

While the shootings happened off campus, students "will see increased patrols this week across the University and in the West Campus neighborhood," Davis warned.

A community vigil will be held Tuesday evening on the UT campus, the university's Students Demand Action chapter said.

Pederson, the 30-year-old who authorities said died Monday, was described as a "beloved Minnesotan fighter" by mixed martial arts promoter Med City Fighting Championships.

"He was a fantastic fighter. One of our favorite people to interact with, throughout the years of our existence. Our condolences to all of his friends and family. It was an honor to have known him," MCFC said in aFacebookpost.

Authorities have not identified those injured and two people remain in critical condition, according to police.

Buford's Backyard Beer Garden expressed its condolences to the victims, writingon InstagramMonday: "These were young people with their whole lives ahead of them, and our thoughts and prayers are with every family impacted."

Paramedics in the area responded quickly, according to officials, as authorities praised emergency services for their quick response.

"We had more than 20 EMS resources that responded to the scene. We had all critical patients off the scene within 24 minutes, and all patients off the scene within 47 minutes," said Robert Luckritz, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services chief.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson offered his condolences to the victims and their families and praised first responders for their fearless, rapid response, saying "They definitely saved lives."

Gov.Greg Abbottcondemned the attack and directed the state's Department of Public Safety to increase patrols and law enforcement personnel in the Sixth Street area on weekends.

Abbott also warned the state would respond aggressively to anyone "using the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans." He ordered the Texas Military Department to activate patrols to protect communities and critical infrastructure, including energy facilities and ports.

"This act of violence will not define us," he said, "nor will it shake the resolve of Texans."

This story has been updated.

CNN's Sarah Dewberry, Alisha Ebrahimji, Chris Boyette, Holmes Lybrand, John Miller and Karina Tsui contributed to this report

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

WASHINGTON – The search for the dead in the apparentU.S. or Israeli missile strikeon the Shajareh Tayyebehall-girls' elementary schoolin Iran has officially ended.

But the questions surrounding the attack that killed at least 175 people have just begun, as international condemnation and calls for investigations – and accountability – were amplified on March 2.

"All alleged violations − including indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks, deliberate targeting of civilians or civilian infrastructure, and attacks on medical facilities and schools − must be promptly, independently, and transparently investigated," one of the world's oldest human rights organizations, the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), said in a March 2 statement.

"Where evidence of war crimes or other serious violations is found," it added, "those responsible, regardless of rank or official capacity, must be held accountable in accordance with international law."

The Trump administration has neither ruled out nor admitted responsibility for the attack, which occurred during the opening wave of the U.S.-led operations on Feb. 28.

The Pentagon says it is reviewing the incident, but so far it has not publicly committed to a formal investigation, disciplinary action or other accountability measures.

"It would be difficult to establish a lawful basis for the strike on the school building at a time when it is full of children," David Scheffer, an international law expert who served as the first U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, told USA TODAY. "It likely is a mistaken targeting decision or based on flawed intelligence about the use of that building."

Here's what to know.

What happened at Shajareh Tayyebeh?

The military strike on the elementary school in Minab, in the southern Hormozgan province near the Sea of Oman, is considered one of the biggest civilian casualty attacks in the newly launched U.S.-Israel war against Iran.

President Donald Trumphas defended the war as necessary in depriving a hostile enemy of nuclear weapons and missile capabilities.

The majority of victims were children, including dozens of young girls between the ages of 7 and 12, according to theIranian news agency IRNA and Iranian officials, in what they allege was an indiscriminate attack on civilians.

Hossein Kermanpour, a spokesman for Iran's health ministry,shared an X post on Feb. 28, calling the majority of those killed at the school "young child martyrs."

"God knows how many more children will be pulled out of the rubble," he wrote. "May God give their families strength and patience."

When the strike hit, the school washolding its first of multiple rotating school shifts, according to Hengaw, a Norway-based organization focusing on human rights violations in Iran. The group added that around 170 students are enrolled in the school's morning shift; however, it is unclear how many were in the building during the strike.

Why was the school struck?

It was not immediately clear why the school was targeted, but old satellite images indicate that the school was previously connected to a facility of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. Recent satellite images from 2016 showed that the school had since been separated from the IRGC base by a wall,The New York Timesreported.

Video footage of the area circulated online appears to show that the IRGC base was also targeted in the attack, which occurred during the opening phase of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign that began Feb. 28.

What do US officials say?

So far, the response from the Trump administration has been muted.

The White House has not commented. The Defense Department has offered little response except to say it is probing reports of civilian casualties.

"We are aware of reports concerning civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations. We take these reports seriously and are looking into them," said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the region.

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"The protection of civilians is of utmost importance," Hawkins said, "and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimize the risk of unintended harm."

The bombing of the school did not come up at Secretary of DefensePete Hegseth's news briefing March 2 with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine.

But Hegseth described the mission of the U.S. campaign, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," as being "laser-focused" on destroying Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities.

"We're hitting them surgically, overwhelmingly and unapologetically," Hegseth told reporters.

"As the President warned," Hegseth also said, "an effort of this scope will include casualties. War is hell and always will be."

What do war crimes and humanitarian laws say?

Such attacks on schools, especially intentional ones, can be war crimes under international and even U.S. rules of engagement, legal experts told USA TODAY March 2.

At the very least, they are grounds for intensive investigations into how the target was chosen, who authorized it and whether it was intentional.

Col. Morris Davis, a former war crimes prosecutor who retired as the director of the Air Force Judiciary, said the laws of war are clear: Schools and other civilian targets cannot be targeted unless there is clear evidence that enemy forces are using the facility for operations, to store weapons, to quarter troops or for other acts of war.

"You saw that in Gaza, where you can have a protected site that is converted to a prohibited use, and it loses protected status," Davis said.

"Obviously, this is a monumental incident and typically an investigation would be convened to determine two things," said Davis, the former chief prosecutor at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay. "One is to determine accountability, and another for lessons learned. How do we prevent this from happening again?"

In an investigation, some of the questions that should be asked would include: Was the school the intended target? Was it struck while attacking the nearby IRGC facility? And if so, what intelligence supported the strike, and were civilian risk estimates conducted?

Such investigations would be ordered and overseen by the military leader in charge of that theater, according to military policy, in this case, the commander of Central Command, Davis told USA TODAY.

"But I think that's something that in the current environment, would be a good way to be unemployed come Monday," Davis said, citing remarks about the current war by Hegseth and other officials. "So do I expect anybody to be held accountable? No."

What are human rights organizations saying?

Iran's government labeled the attack on the school a war crime and demanded action by the United Nations.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, alsocondemned the attackon the school as "a grave violation of humanitarian law."

UNSecretary-General António Guterresalso condemned the attack, as well as the retaliatory strikes by Iran that hit several Middle Eastern countries.

The International Federation for Human Rights was one of numerous organizations to call on the U.S. and Israel to quickly investigate the matter to determine who ordered the strike, what information they possessed at the time.

The group singled out the attack on the school targeting civilian infrastructure, saying "a majority" of the victims were children. But it cited other reports indicating that hundreds of civilians have also been killed in various Iranian cities, including in attacks on hospitals.

Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Rights groups want answers in attack on Iran girls school. Here's why

NEW YORK, March 3 (Reuters) - A court conference is scheduled for Tuesday in the U.S. government's long-running criminal case accusing the ‌Turkish state-owned lender Halkbank of fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to ‌help Iran evade American economic sanctions.

Lawyers for the government and Halkbank are expected to appear ​before U.S. District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan federal court, and could shed light on the next steps in the case.

The status conference comes five months after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider a federal appeals court decision ‌that let the prosecution ⁠proceed.

Halkbank's case has long been a thorn in U.S.-Turkey relations, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan calling it an "unlawful, ugly" ⁠step.

U.S. prosecutors originally charged Halkbank in 2019, during President Donald Trump's first White House term. The case is unrelated to current tensions in the Middle East.

Halkbank was ​accused of ​using money servicers and front companies ​in Iran, Turkey and the ‌United Arab Emirates in its sanctions-evasion scheme.

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Prosecutors said the bank secretly transferred $20 billion of restricted funds, converted oil revenue into gold and cash to benefit Iranian interests and documented fake food shipments to justify transfers of oil proceeds.

Halkbank pleaded not guilty to bank fraud, money laundering and conspiracy charges.

In ‌2023, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily voided ​the prosecution, despite agreeing that Congress' desire to ​shield foreign countries and their ​instrumentalities from civil liability did not cover criminal cases.

Instead, ‌it ordered the 2nd U.S. Circuit ​Court of Appeals ​to more thoroughly review whether immunity under centuries-old common law shielded Halkbank.

The appeals court found no such shield in October 2024, prompting Halkbank's ​second Supreme Court appeal. ‌The Trump administration argued that the common law does not ​shield foreign state-owned companies from criminal prosecution.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in ​New York; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

March 3 (Reuters) - Importers seeking their share of more than $130 billion in tariff refunds are flocking to a little-known U.S. trade court, which must now figure out how to deal with what is expected to be an explosion of cases.

Multinationals such as FedEx and L'Oreal and hundreds of smaller companies have filed around ‌2,000 lawsuits at the U.S. Court of International Trade in Manhattan, seeking refunds for tariffs imposed last year by President Donald Trump, according to court records. The cases ‌could be the tip of an iceberg - the tariffs that were ruled illegal by the Supreme Court on February 20 were levied on more than 300,000 importers.

The number of filings represents a dramatic increase from 2024, when only 252 new ​cases were filed in the court, according to court data.

The Supreme Court did not address refunds, leaving that to customs officials and the eight active judges on the trade court, which typically handles disputes over anti-dumping measures and import classifications on everything from window shades to pig fat.

The Supreme Court cases, which were brought by toy company Learning Resources, spirits importer VOS Selections and other importers, are now back at the trade court.

Lawyers for five of the plaintiffs suggested in a February 24 court filing that their lawsuits should serve as test cases to determine how the refunds will be calculated and ‌issued.

In the meantime, other cases would be put on hold.

Not everyone ⁠wants to wait.

Smaller importers, which make up the vast majority of companies that paid tariffs, want to bypass the process of bringing a lawsuit, which can cost thousands of dollars in legal fees.

They are hoping Customs and Border Protection will establish a simple, low-cost process for refunds, such as a dedicated ⁠web portal for entering basic information to generate a reimbursement.

Trade lawyers said CBP could require importers to go through its established administrative process that requires filing official protests. Complicating the process, refunds on tariffs paid early in 2025 might be treated differently than tariffs paid more recently.

The process, according to John Peterson, a trade lawyer who has filed cases in the current wave of tariff-refund claims, is "the mega-question."

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CBP did not respond ​to ​a request for comment.

SIMILAR APPROACH

In their February 24 filing, the importers' lawyers reminded the trade court that it ​has experience organizing thousands of refund lawsuits, albeit involving many fewer potential ‌claimants and much less money.

A wave of refund litigation similar to the current demands for tariff reimbursements kicked off following a 1998 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down a tax that had been collected from exporters for 11 years.

"This court employed a similar approach with respect to the challenges to the Harbor Maintenance Fee," the court filing said.

Rather than oversee thousands of cases simultaneously, the trade court paused the lawsuits and set up a steering committee of plaintiffs' lawyers specializing in trade who then oversaw the one case that proceeded. The test case was used to litigate questions such as interest on refunds and deadlines to sue. Orders entered in the test case applied to all lawsuits.

Less than six months after the Supreme Court struck down that tax, ‌the court approved a refund process. It required each claimant to sue individually and then send a claim ​form to the CBP. If the importer and CBP disagreed or legal questions surfaced, the parties could ask the ​court to review the claim.

Within about 2-1/2 years of the Supreme Court order striking ​down the harbor tax, about $730 million was paid out to as many as 100,000 claimants, according to a paper about the case published on the ‌trade court's website.

The legal team for VOS Selections and the four other ​plaintiffs in the current litigation urged the trade court to basically ​follow that model, letting their cases proceed to establish a refund process that could be applied to everyone.

While the harbor-tax litigation provides a framework, nothing compares to the sheer volume of tariff payments that need to be unwound. As of December 10, the illegal tariffs were collected on about 34 million shipments, according to a government court filing.

"There's ​still a lot of questions that are going to need to ‌be answered, and whenever you have $133 billion at stake, there's going to be disputes," said Daniel Pickard, a trade attorney, who has not filed tariff-refund cases. "So you've ​got to think that there's going to be a whole bunch more litigation before this is all over."

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware, and David Thomas ​in Chicago; Additional reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Amy Stevens and Ethan Smith)