UN fact-finding mission says US committed possible war crimes in Iran

What Happened

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran released a report on Thursday concluding that the United States likely committed war crimes in two February 28 air strikes during the US-Israel war on Iran. The mission found that a US strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, carried out with Tomahawk missiles, killed over 150 people, including approximately 120 children. It said the school's civilian nature was apparent from child-oriented murals, signage, playground areas, and satellite imagery showing children in the courtyard, and concluded the US failed to do everything feasible to verify it was a military objective. The mission also examined a US air strike on a 'clearly identifiable' sports complex and residential area in Lamerd the same day, where precision strike missiles dispersed tungsten pellets, killing 22 civilian men and women; it found the sports centre was visibly separate from an adjacent IRGC compound. US Central Command said in March that US forces did not launch strikes in Lamerd, and President Donald Trump said in June that nobody purposefully attacked a girls' school, while the Pentagon has not published findings. The same report accused Iranian authorities of crimes against humanity and human rights violations during the 2025-2026 protests, including internet shutdowns, unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and restrictions on freedom of expression. The mission said the actual death and injury toll is much higher than Iran's reported 3,038 killed and 25,000 injured, though it could not verify exact numbers; Tehran says most deaths were caused by 'rioters' backed by exiled opponents and the US and Israel.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The report marks the first formal UN fact-finding designation of possible US war crimes in the Iran war and simultaneous findings of Iranian crimes against humanity, amplifying international legal and diplomatic pressure on both sides. It challenges US targeting claims in Minab and Lamerd at a time when the war has caused mass civilian casualties, and it complicates Iran's narrative of protest deaths by documenting state repression. The findings could influence UN Human Rights Council action, future accountability mechanisms, and war discourse among regional actors.

Watch For

Monitor whether the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva takes up the report and whether member states propose resolutions or referrals. Watch for the Pentagon's promised investigation findings into the Minab school strike. Track any US or Iranian official responses to the mission's calls for an immediate end to hostilities, reparations to victims, and a diplomatic peace process.