UN report finds U.S. committed war crimes in strikes on Iranian school

A United Nations fact-finding mission reported on Thursday that it found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed war crimes during military strikes on a school and a sports facility in Iran. According to the findings, which are set for submission to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, civilians in Iran found themselves trapped between gross human rights violations committed by domestic authorities and the armed conflict involving the United States and Israel.

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran examined U.S. Military conduct during the conflict that began in February, alongside the Iranian government's crackdown on widespread unrest that erupted in late December. Neither the U.S. Nor the Iranian permanent missions in Geneva immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the report.

The Minab School and Lamerd Strikes

Investigators focused heavily on an attack against the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in the southern city of Minab. Official Iranian figures state that more than 150 people were killed in the blast, including approximately 120 schoolchildren. The UN mission concluded that the attack was indiscriminate, caused severe civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, and amounted to a war crime.

According to the report, U.S. Forces relied on intelligence suggesting a senior Iranian military commander was present at the site but failed to adequately verify the information before launching the strike. Investigators stated that this failure went beyond mere negligence, concluding that U.S. Forces directed strikes at the school while acting recklessly regarding the substantial risk of hitting a civilian object. The school was clearly identifiable as a civilian facility, and investigators found no evidence it was being used for military purposes.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated in June that nobody purposefully attacked a girls' school in Iran, citing an ongoing investigation. While Reuters previously reported that an initial internal U.S. Military probe indicated American forces were likely responsible, the Pentagon has elevated the investigation but has not published preliminary findings. U.S. Officials have previously maintained that military operations adhere to the law of armed conflict.

A similar conclusion was reached regarding a separate strike on a sports centre in Lamerd. That attack damaged nearby residential buildings and a school while killing and injuring 22 civilians. The UN mission deemed that strike indiscriminate as well. U.S. Central Command stated in March that American forces did not launch any strikes into Lamerd on that day.

Location	Facility Struck	Reported Casualties	UN Conclusion
Minab	Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School	More than 150 killed (including ~120 schoolchildren)	Indiscriminate attack / War crime
Lamerd	Sports Centre	22 civilians killed and injured (plus damaged residential buildings and school)	Indiscriminate attack / War crime

Domestic Crackdown and Crimes Against Humanity

In addition to examining foreign military strikes, the UN mission investigated the Iranian government's suppression of anti-government protests that began in late December. The probe concluded that Iranian authorities carried out a widespread and systematic attack against civilians, involving unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression.

Rights groups noted that bystanders were killed during what became the largest crackdown since Shia Muslim clerics came to power following the 1979 revolution. Tehran rejected allegations of systematic rights violations, instead blaming terrorists and rioters backed by exiled opponents and foreign adversaries, including the U.S. And Israel.

While the UN mission could not independently verify the total death toll, it stated that the actual number of dead and injured was likely far higher than official government figures. Those official numbers indicate 3,038 people were killed and 25,000 injured. The government's response—characterized by internet shutdowns, violence, and the use of the death penalty—marked a notable escalation from past patterns of suppressing dissent.

Next Steps

The report from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, chaired by jurist Sara Hossain of Bangladesh, will be formally submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Meanwhile, the Pentagon's elevated internal investigation into the Minab school bombing remains ongoing, with no finalized findings yet published by U.S. Authorities.