A United Nations independent fact‑finding mission has concluded there are “reasonable grounds” to believe two US strikes on Iranian civilian sites in February — one that hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab and another that struck a sports centre in Lamerd — were indiscriminate attacks that may amount to war crimes, the mission reported on Thursday.
- A UN fact‑finding mission found reasonable grounds that US strikes on a school in Minab and a sports centre in Lamerd were indiscriminate and may amount to war crimes.
- Investigators say the US failed to update targeting databases and did not take all feasible precautions; they found no evidence the Minab school was being used for military purposes.
- The mission also concluded Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during a domestic crackdown on protesters in late 2025–early 2026.
What the UN investigators found
The Independent International Fact‑Finding Mission on Iran, established by the UN Human Rights Council, examined the incidents that took place on Feb. 28 during the opening phase of the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. The mission concluded it had reasonable grounds to believe US forces were responsible for strikes on two civilian facilities: a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd.
According to the mission, the Minab strike killed more than 150 people, including around 120 schoolchildren, based on Iranian figures cited in the report. The Lamerd strike was said to have killed or injured 22 civilians and damaged nearby residential buildings and a school.
The investigators described both attacks as indiscriminate, saying they caused civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure and therefore amount to war crimes under international humanitarian law. The mission reported it found no evidence that the Minab school was being used for military purposes at the time of the strike.
Why the mission says the strikes may amount to war crimes
The report highlighted shortcomings in the US targeting process. It said US forces failed to update targeting databases that still showed the school and an IRGC naval facility as part of a single compound in older imagery. Investigators cited satellite imagery showing changes over time — including the erection of a fence and a separate school entrance years before the strike — and concluded the United States did not take all feasible precautions to verify a legitimate military objective.
UN experts stated that the circumstances went beyond mere negligence. They wrote that the United States “directed the strikes at the building of the school while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object and acting recklessly as regards the possibility that this would happen.”
Reactions and official responses
The report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The White House response quoted in the report said the council had “accomplished nothing for human rights” and accused Iran of committing war crimes and other offences — a statement attributed to White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly in the sources summarising the report.
A US State Department official told CNN that the Trump administration did not give credibility to the report’s findings; the sources also note that President Donald Trump formally withdrew the United States from the UN Human Rights Council in February 2025. The Pentagon declined to provide substantive comment beyond noting an ongoing investigation.
The UN mission said it had sought access to the scene and information from both Iran and the United States; it reported that Iran granted limited cooperation — responding to around a quarter of information requests — while requests to US and Israeli officials went unanswered, according to the mission’s account in the report.
How the mission gathered evidence
Investigators compiled satellite imagery, video and photographic material, information from credible organisations and experts, and dozens of interviews inside and outside Iran. They used those sources to assess whether the sites struck were civilian objects and whether feasible precautions were taken before the attacks.
News organisations and other outlets had earlier reported that a preliminary US military inquiry found American forces likely responsible for the Minab strike and suggested outdated intelligence and targeting databases played a role. The UN report’s findings align with those reporting threads as presented in the evidence the mission reviewed.
Context: broader findings on Iran's crackdown
The fact‑finding mission’s remit extended beyond the battlefield. The report also examined Iran’s domestic response to anti‑government protests that erupted in late December and continued into early 2026. The mission concluded those actions by state authorities — including unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances — could amount to crimes against humanity when taken together.
The mission said it could not fully verify casualty totals independently but noted that the number of killed and injured was likely higher than official figures. The sources summarising the report state the government’s crackdown involved internet shutdowns and accelerated use of the death penalty, and that rights groups reported bystander casualties among victims.
Implications and next steps
UN fact‑finding missions are investigative, not judicial, bodies. The mission’s conclusions do not themselves determine criminal responsibility in a court, but the report can be used by national or international judicial authorities — including tribunals such as the International Criminal Court — if they choose to act.
The mission’s findings increase pressure for transparent, timely investigations by the parties implicated. According to reporting summarised in the mission’s material, the Pentagon’s internal probe into the Minab incident was elevated but had not published preliminary findings at the time the UN report was released. US Central Command previously told reporters it had not launched strikes into Lamerd on the date in question, a point the mission addressed in its assessment.
Unresolved questions and disputes
Several matters remain contested or unresolved in the public record. The United States has not released a public, definitive finding from its internal investigations in the cases covered by the UN report. The mission noted limited cooperation from Iran on some requests and acknowledged gaps where independent verification was constrained. The US government, as reflected in quoted responses, has rejected the report’s credibility, while Iran has not provided full access to investigators.
Timeline of key events (from the report and contemporaneous reporting)
- Late December 2025–early 2026: Nationwide anti‑government protests in Iran and a state crackdown that the mission later examined.
- Feb. 28, 2026: Opening salvo of the war between the United States/Israel and Iran; strikes on Minab and Lamerd occurred on this date, according to the mission.
- March 2026: Media outlets reported preliminary US military inquiries indicating possible US responsibility for the Minab strike and outdated targeting data as a factor.
- June–September 2026: The UN Independent International Fact‑Finding Mission finalised a report and prepared to present its findings to the UN Human Rights Council; the mission published conclusions that included reasonable grounds to suspect war crimes by US forces and crimes against humanity by Iranian authorities.
What this means for the Middle East and the region
For countries across the Middle East, the report’s findings complicate diplomatic and legal landscapes. Allegations that a major external military power may have committed indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure could affect regional perceptions of the conflict, influence accountability demands, and shape international responses to further hostilities.
Separately, the mission’s conclusions about Iran’s domestic crackdown underscore human rights concerns within the country that regional governments and international organisations will have to weigh alongside security developments.
What to watch next
- Whether the US publishes the findings of its elevated internal investigation into the Minab strike and whether it addresses the database and targeting concerns identified by the mission.
- How the UN Human Rights Council responds when the mission presents the report in Geneva, including any calls for further inquiry or referral to judicial mechanisms.
- Whether international courts or national judiciaries pursue investigations or prosecutions using the mission’s report as evidence.
“The US directed the strikes at the building of the school while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object and acting recklessly as regards the possibility that this would happen.”
Attribution: The article summarises findings published by the United Nations Independent International Fact‑Finding Mission on Iran and reporting compiled by international news organisations as presented in the mission’s report and related press coverage.