Summary

School Bombing, Civilian Killings: UN Probe Finds Grounds To Believe US Committed 'War Crimes' In Iran The fact-finding mission has also accused Iranian authorities of carrying out crimes against humanity against their own people Got Question about the News? In a major report set for submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, an independent UN fact-finding mission declared it has “reasonable grounds to believe" American forces were responsible for two February 2026 military strikes in Iran that constituted war crimes. The findings deliver a severe indictment of US operations during the escalation of hostilities, while simultaneously documenting that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during a deadly internal crackdown on domestic anti-government protests. The Minab School Bombing and Lamerd Strike Recommended Stories - Iran’s ‘Electro-Optical Missile’ Targets US Warships As Navy Admits Bahrain Base Damage - India-Iran Vows Deeper Relations: India Won't Surrender Autonomy | Karim Sadjajpour | EXCLUSIVE - Did China Help Iran Kill 3 US Troops? Washington Probes Satellite Image Link To Deadly Jordan Strike - UN Endorses India's Role as Diplomatic Bridge-Builder in Iran Conflict | U.S.-Iran War | News18 The most critical finding focuses on a precision strike on February 28, 2026, targeting the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, Hormozgan province. According to Iranian officials, the strike killed more than 150 people, including roughly 120 schoolchildren. - Failure of Due Diligence: The UN panel established that the school was a clearly identifiable civilian facility with no evidence of military usage. Although American intelligence suspected a senior Iranian commander was nearby, forces failed to update targeting databases or verify information before launching a Tomahawk missile. - Reckless Execution: Investigators concluded the strike went beyond negligence, stating the US acted recklessly while fully aware of the substantial risk to civilian life, rendering it an indiscriminate attack and a war crime. - Sports Facility Attack: A second strike on a sports facility in Lamerd, which killed or injured 22 civilians and damaged neighbouring homes, was similarly categorised as an indiscriminate war crime. Simultaneous Findings Against Tehran The investigation concurrently turned its focus to Tehran’s domestic conduct during nationwide economic protests that erupted in late December 2025. The UN experts determined that Iranian security forces carried out a “widespread and systematic attack" against civilians. Documenting unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detentions, and enforced disappearances, the mission classified the state’s response as crimes against humanity. While Iranian state sources reported 3,038 deaths and 25,000 injuries, UN investigators noted the true casualties are likely considerably higher. Diplomatic Fallout and Official Responses Neither the US nor Iranian permanent missions in Geneva issued immediate public responses following the release. Washington has previously asserted that its operations strictly adhere to the law of armed conflict, though the Pentagon’s internal review into the Minab attack remains unpublished. Meanwhile, Tehran continues to attribute civil casualties to foreign-backed unrest while denying systematic rights abuses. Quick Answers An independent UN fact-finding mission declared there are reasonable grounds to believe American forces committed war crimes during two February 2026 military strikes in Iran. The probe found that the US acted recklessly and launched an indiscriminate attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, despite it being a clearly identifiable civilian facility. Additionally, a second US strike on a sports facility in Lamerd was categorized as an indiscriminate war crime.