The U.S. Built a Blueprint to Avoid Civilian War Casualties. Trump Officials Scrapped It.

The U.S. military's Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) program, designed to reduce noncombatant casualties, has been largely dismantled by the Trump administration, according to former defense officials and personnel. This reorganization, prioritizing "lethality," coincided with a recent missile strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, which Iranian health officials report killed over 165 civilians, predominantly children. Defense analysts and former officials state that approximately 90% of the CHMR mission has been eliminated, with the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence now existing mostly on paper. This shift raises concerns among human rights advocates and defense analysts regarding increased civilian harm and potential violations of international law, as global conflict monitors note a dramatic increase in deadly U.S. military operations since President Trump's second term began.