🚨U.N.-Commissioned Mission Finds Reasonable Grounds to Believe U.S. Committed War Crimes in Iran

A U.N.-commissioned fact-finding mission has concluded there are “reasonable grounds to believe” the United States committed war crimes during two military strikes in Iran earlier this year.

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran examined two attacks carried out on February 28, including a strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab and another on a sports complex and surrounding residential area in Lamerd. Investigators concluded the attacks were indiscriminate and resulted in civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure.

At least 178 civilians were killed across the two attacks, according to the mission.

The school strike was particularly devastating. Iranian officials say more than 150 people were killed there, including roughly 120 schoolchildren. Investigators said the school was a clearly identifiable civilian structure and that they found no evidence it was being used for military purposes.

According to Reuters, investigators found that the U.S. relied on intelligence suggesting a senior Iranian military commander was at the location but failed to adequately verify that information before striking. The mission concluded the conduct went beyond simple negligence and said U.S. forces acted recklessly regarding the risk of striking a civilian object.

The second incident occurred in Lamerd, where investigators examined a strike on a sports complex and nearby residential area. The mission concluded that attack was also indiscriminate and constituted a war crime. U.S. Central Command has denied carrying out the Lamerd strike.

The findings are significant, but there is an important distinction: this is a finding by independent experts commissioned by the U.N. Human Rights Council. It is not a criminal conviction or binding court judgment. The mission itself cannot prosecute anyone, although its evidence could potentially contribute to future accountability proceedings.

The mission simultaneously found that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their crackdown on anti-government protests, citing killings, torture, arbitrary detention and other abuses.

The U.S. has previously maintained that its military operations comply with the law of armed conflict. The Pentagon has not publicly released the final findings of its investigation into the Minab school strike, and the U.S. and Iranian missions in Geneva did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the new report.

The fact-finding mission’s findings are expected to be presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.

Cup of Culture will continue following developments as the report moves before the Human Rights Council.