White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is facing backlash from Iranian officials after sharing a personal update about the birth of her daughter.
Karoline Leavitt recently posted a photo on Instagram holding her newborn daughter, Viviana.
“On May 1st, Viviana aka ‘Vivi’ joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love,” she wrote. “She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister. We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble.
“Thank you to everyone who reached out with prayers during my pregnancy – I truly felt them throughout the entire experience. God is Good.”
“Your hands are stained with the blood of many innocent children”
Shortly after, Iran’s embassy in Armenia responded publicly on X with a message directed at Leavitt.
“Congratulations to you. Children are innocent and lovable. Those 168 children that your boss killed in the school in Minab, and you justified, were also children,” the embassy wrote, according to UNILAD.
“When you kiss your baby, think of the mothers of those children.”
The comments refer to a missile strike earlier this year during the first day of the joint US-Israel attack on Iran. According to authorities in the Middle East, the strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, killing 168 people – most of them reportedly children. Iran’s embassy in South Africa also posted a separate message criticizing Leavitt.
“When your child grows up and reads history, she will be ashamed that you served one of the most hated governments in history,” the account wrote.
“Your hands are stained with the blood of many innocent children, like the children of Minab.”
Iran’s message to Karoline Leavitt
At the time of the strike, US media reports said the school building had been damaged in what was described as a precision strike. Leavitt denied claims that the United States intentionally targeted civilians.
“The Department of War is investigating this matter,” she said in March. “And I would just tell you very strongly the United States of America does not target civilians, unlike the rogue Iranian regime that targets civilians, that kills children, that has killed thousands of their own people in the past several weeks and uses propaganda quite effectively, and unfortunately, many people in this room have fallen for that propaganda.”
Meanwhile, UNICEF USA reported in March that more than 1,800 children across the Middle East have been injured or killed since the US and Israel’s attack began.
