UN Experts Find Grounds US Committed War Crimes in Iran Strikes

A United Nations-commissioned panel of human rights experts stated Thursday there are reasonable grounds to believe the U.S. committed war crimes with two strikes in Iran that killed at least 178 civilians.

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran released its findings to the UN Human Rights Council, focusing on two strikes described as emblematic of the conflict. One strike on February 28 targeted the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, killing 157 people, including 123 children aged 13 and younger. Investigators identified the weapon as a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, used only by the U.S. during the conflict, and concluded the school was deliberately targeted based on outdated intelligence, despite being separated from a former IRGC compound by a wall for over a decade.

The second strike on the same date hit a sports complex and surrounding residential area in Lamerd, killing and injuring 22 civilians and damaging nearby homes and a school. Investigators said a U.S.-made Precision Strike Missile detonated in the air, dispersing tungsten pellets. The mission concluded U.S. conduct in both cases went beyond negligence, amounting to the war crime of launching an indiscriminate attack.

The U.S. failed to adequately verify targeting information despite the risk to civilians. The report also accused Iranian authorities of carrying out crimes against humanity against their own people during their crackdown on anti-government protests. President Trump insisted Wednesday that Iran wants to make a deal to end the six-and-a-half month war, stating, "Hopefully we're toward the end of the war."

The Pentagon has not released findings from its investigation into the Minab strike, and U.S. Central Command stated in March it carried out no Lamerd strikes on February 28.