‘Reasonable grounds’ to believe US committed war crime in Iran school strike, UN experts claim

17th August, 2026 | News

UN Experts Find ‘Reasonable Grounds’ to Believe US Committed War Crime in Iran School Strike

UN-commissioned human rights experts have concluded that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed a war crime in a February airstrike on a school in Minab, southern Iran.

The international fact-finding mission investigated two airstrikes on February 28 that reportedly killed at least 178 civilians, including women and children. Iranian state media said 168 people, mostly children, were killed when a missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab.

The experts said the evidence indicated that US intelligence analysts had sufficient opportunities to identify the building as a school before the attack. The US administration has not directly accepted responsibility and has not released the findings of a Pentagon investigation into the incident.

The second strike investigated by the mission occurred in Lamerd, where precision missiles reportedly dispersed tungsten pellets over a sports complex and nearby residential areas. The team said 22 civilians were killed. US Central Command denied responsibility for that attack.

The UN-backed mission also raised allegations of serious human rights violations by Iranian security forces, saying killings had occurred on a large scale and alleging crimes against humanity by the Iranian government.

The findings were reported as part of an investigation into the February conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.