Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE (R-Ky.) on Tuesday broke with President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE by saying it would not be appropriate to target Iranian cultural sites if hostilities in the Middle East escalate.

“That is not appropriate,” McConnell said, delivering a clear statement that U.S. forces should abide by the rules of war, which prohibit deliberate targeting of cultural sites.

The debate over targeting such sites erupted over the weekend when Trump warned via Twitter that the U.S. had a list of more than 50 targets, including cultural sites, it would attack if Tehran attacked Americans or U.S. assets in response to the killing of Qassem Soleimani, leader of the country's elite Quds Force.

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Trump tweeted on Saturday that U.S. military officials had identified "52 Iranian sites" including “some at a very high level & important to Iran & Iranian culture” for potential targeting.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper Mark EsperOvernight Defense: Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing l Air Force reveals it secretly built and flew new fighter jet l Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Oldest living US World War II veteran turns 111 Overnight Defense: US marks 19th anniversary of 9/11 attacks | Trump awards Medal of Honor to Army Ranger for hostage rescue mission | Bahrain, Israel normalizing diplomatic ties MORE on Monday contradicted Trump by announcing “we will follow the laws of armed conflict.”

He acknowledged to CNN that the prohibition on targeting cultural sites is mandated by “the laws of armed conflict.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep Trump's foreign policy successes confound his detractors It's time for a Jackson-Vanik Amendment for China MORE also told reporters at a recent news conference that “every effort that’s being made will always be conducted inside the international laws of war.”

McConnell on Tuesday endorsed the statements by Esper and Pompeo and emphasized that destroying historic mosques and other sites important to Iranian culture would be out of bounds.

“I want to associate myself with the secretary of Defense and the secretary of State with regard to the appropriateness of cultural sites being targeted. That is not appropriate,” he said.