UN Mission Finds US War Crimes in Iran School, Sports Center Strikes

A UN fact-finding mission reported on Thursday that it found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed war crimes in two strikes on Iranian soil in February. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran examined a missile attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab and a strike on a sports center and residential area in Lamerd, both on February 28. The mission concluded the attacks were indiscriminate and caused civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure.

Iranian officials reported at least 156 people were killed in the Minab school strike, including around 120 children and 26 teachers. The UN mission said the school was adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval complex but was clearly identifiable and not used for military purposes. The Lamerd strike killed 22 civilians, according to the UN report, bringing the total civilian death toll across both strikes to at least 177.

“Civilians in Iran are caught between gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by their own government and the nation's deadly conflict with the United States and Israel.”

The mission, chaired by Bangladeshi jurist Sara Hossain and established in 2022, also found that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during a crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests that began in late December 2025. Experts said killings by security forces occurred on a "staggering and unprecedented scale" across all 31 provinces.

The White House strongly rejected the findings. Spokesperson Anna Kelly stated the UN Human Rights Council had "accomplished nothing for human rights" and claimed Iran was the only party that committed war crimes. The Pentagon declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation. A State Department official said the Trump administration did not find the report credible, noting the US withdrew from the Council in February 2025.

The 18-page report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. While the mission's findings are not legally binding, they contribute to international evidence that could be used in future legal proceedings at national courts or the International Criminal Court.