U.N. Report Finds Grounds to Believe U.S. Committed War Crimes in Iran

A United Nations report released Thursday states there are "reasonable grounds to believe that the United States committed a war crime by launching indiscriminate attacks that killed or injured civilians or damaged civilian objects" in Iran. The U.N.’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran identified U.S. Tomahawk missile strikes that allegedly hit an elementary school and a sports facility in Iran on February 28.

The report identified U.S. Tomahawk missile strikes that hit Tree of Tayyiba Elementary School in Minab, killing more than 150 people, including 120 children. It also cited an alleged U.S. missile strike in Lamerd that dispersed tungsten pellets over a sports complex and residential area, killing 22 civilians. The U.S. has denied carrying out any strike within the vicinity of Lamerd on that date.

The fact-finding mission concluded that both civilian facilities were "clearly identifiable." The report stated, "The U.S.’s failure to update information in relation to the school in its targeting databases and to verify that the building was a military objective before launching the attack went beyond mere negligence." It added that the U.S. acted "recklessly as regards the possibility that this would happen."

The U.N. mission is also expected to present findings that Iranian authorities likely committed crimes against humanity during their crackdown on protesters in December and January. The report noted that people in Iran are "caught between intensified repression and violence by their government and renewed armed conflict and insecurity resulting from the hostilities between Iran and the U.S and Israel."

The war, which began on February 28, has resulted in a significant civilian toll. Human rights groups estimate that more than 1,700 civilians were killed in Iran by the end of April, including over 1,000 in the first five days of the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign. Hundreds of women and children, dozens of health care workers, and at least nine journalists were among the casualties. Separately, Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported over 4,300 killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since early March.

U.S. conduct in the conflict has faced increasing scrutiny. On September 1, an apparent U.S. strike hit a wedding celebration in Kuhestak, killing five people and wounding over 60. Washington has not accepted responsibility but launched an internal probe. Reuters analysis indicated the damage was likely caused by a U.S. munition.

The U.S. State Department told the Associated Press that it did not consider the latest U.N. report credible. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly stated that the Human Rights Council has "accomplished nothing for human rights while spouting unserious nonsense for decades." She asserted, "The only party in this conflict that has committed war crimes is the Iranian regime."

In March, the Pentagon launched a formal command investigation into the Minab school strike. A U.S. official suggested to the Associated Press that the strike might have resulted from outdated target coordinates. Although the school was near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps complex, satellite imagery showed it had been separated from the compound in 2016 and was publicly listed as a girls' elementary school.

Members of Congress have questioned whether artificial intelligence tools were used to identify the school as a target, though no publicly disclosed evidence supports this. In June, then-President Trump stated, "Nobody did that on purpose," and the Pentagon told Reuters on Thursday that the investigation is ongoing.

The U.N. report also mentioned alleged U.S. strikes with precision missiles scattering tungsten pellets in Lamerd. BBC Verify and The New York Times reported that weapons experts identified the missiles as likely U.S.-made Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). However, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) refuted claims of U.S. strikes in Lamerd on February 28, stating that U.S. forces did not launch strikes in or near the city on that date. CENTCOM suggested the missile in footage was an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile, not a PrSM.

In May, CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper told Congress that the military was investigating only one case involving possible U.S.-caused civilian deaths: the Minab school strike.

The fact-finding mission also found grounds to believe the Iranian government committed crimes against humanity during its crackdown on protests, with official counts indicating 3,038 killed and 25,000 injured, though the report suggests the toll is likely higher. The mission stated that at least 29 men were executed following summary trials, and more than 70 people are at "imminent risk" of execution.