UN Mission Finds Reasonable Grounds to Believe US Committed War Crimes in Iran

GENEVA: A United Nations-backed independent fact-finding mission on Iran has found “reasonable grounds to believe” that the United States committed war crimes during two military strikes in Iran in February, including an attack on a girls’ primary school in the southern city of Minab.

The findings were included in a new report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is due to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Deadly Strike on Girls’ School in Minab

The mission said it had reasonable grounds to believe US forces were responsible for the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab on February 28.

More than 150 people were killed, including around 120 schoolchildren, according to Iranian officials cited by the UN experts. The mission concluded that the attack was indiscriminate and caused civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure, amounting to a war crime under international law.

The investigators said the school was a clearly identifiable civilian object and found no evidence that it was being used for military purposes. The school was located adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval complex.

Questions Over Targeting Intelligence

The UN mission found that US forces had failed to adequately update or verify information concerning the location and status of the school before the strike.

According to the findings, the failure to confirm that the building was a legitimate military objective went beyond simple negligence. The mission said the United States acted recklessly despite a substantial risk that the strike would hit a civilian object.

Earlier reporting indicated that the strike involved a US-made Tomahawk missile and that the US military had been operating against a nearby IRGC facility. Independent investigations had also linked the school strike to an American missile.

Second Strike in Lamerd

The UN mission also examined a February 28 strike on a sports complex in Lamerd, Fars province.

The attack caused civilian casualties and damaged nearby residential buildings and a school. The mission concluded that the strike was indiscriminate and therefore constituted a war crime under international law.

The United States has denied responsibility for the Lamerd strike. US Central Command said its forces did not conduct any strike in Lamerd or within 30 miles of the city on February 28.

The UN mission’s findings therefore leave responsibility for that particular strike disputed between the two sides.

UN Mission Examines Conduct by Both Sides

The report did not focus exclusively on US actions.

The fact-finding mission also accused Iranian authorities of crimes against humanity in connection with a crackdown on nationwide protests that began in late December, citing allegations including unlawful killings, torture and arbitrary detention.

The mission urged both Washington and Tehran to end violations of international law, provide remedies to victims and take measures to prevent similar abuses in the future.

Mission Established in 2022

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022 to investigate alleged human rights violations in Iran.

The mission is chaired by Bangladeshi jurist Sara Hossain, alongside its other independent members.

The latest findings are expected to contribute to the international record concerning alleged violations committed during the Iran conflict, although the fact-finding mission itself does not prosecute individuals or impose criminal penalties.

The report has added significant international scrutiny to the February strikes, particularly the destruction of the Minab school and the deaths of large numbers of civilians and children.