UN Mission: US Strikes on Iranian Facilities May Constitute War Crimes

An independent international fact-finding mission has concluded there are "reasonable grounds to believe" that U.S. forces were responsible for two strikes in Iran during its war with Israel last February, targeting a school and a sports facility. The mission deemed these attacks indiscriminate and potentially amounting to war crimes.

The findings, based on a new report to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, examine U.S. conduct during the war and Iran's response to protests that began in late December. UN experts stated they have "reasonable grounds to believe" U.S. forces carried out an attack on the "Al-Shajara Al-Tayyiba" primary school in Minab city, which Iranian officials claimed killed over 150 people, including approximately 120 students.

The mission determined the attack was indiscriminate, caused civilian casualties, and damaged civilian infrastructure, constituting a war crime under international law. The report indicates the U.S. relied on intelligence about a senior Iranian military commander at the site but failed to adequately verify it. Investigators found the failure to update targeting information and verify the building as a military target was "more than mere negligence," adding that the U.S. "directed strikes at the school building while aware of a significant risk of civilian harm and acted recklessly regarding the probability of such an outcome."

UN experts confirmed the school was clearly a civilian facility and found no evidence of its military use. Former U.S. President Donald Trump had previously claimed "nobody" intentionally targeted a girls' school in Iran, mentioning an investigation into the incident. An initial U.S. military probe suggested U.S. forces were responsible for the Minab raid.

The mission reached a similar conclusion regarding another strike on a sports facility in Lamerd city, which damaged residential buildings and a school, killing and injuring 22 civilians. The report emphasized this strike was indiscriminate and thus a war crime.

Separately, the fact-finding mission concluded that Iranian authorities carried out a "widespread and systematic attack against civilians" during the late December protests, with documented violations amounting to crimes against humanity. These included unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. The report noted the authorities' response, involving violence, killings, internet shutdowns, and executions, was a significant escalation compared to previous patterns of suppressing dissent.

While unable to independently verify the total death toll, the mission suggested it was much higher than official figures of 3,038 killed and 25,000 injured. Tehran has repeatedly denied systematic violations, blaming "terrorists and rioters" supported by external adversaries for the violence.