UN Experts Label Two US Strikes in Iran for Possible War Crimes: Which? | Today’s news
UN-backed human rights experts have found “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed war crimes with two deadly strikes in Iran, including an attack on a school.
The findings were released by the UN-mandated Independent International Investigation Mission to Iran, which was set up by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022. The mission, chaired by Bangladeshi lawyer Sara Hossain, said the allegations centered on two US strikes carried out on February 28 at the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
According to experts, the two attacks were in Minab and Lamerd, both in southern Iran.
1. Minab School Strike
The first strike was on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, where a US missile hit a clearly identifiable school building.
According to UN-backed experts, the attack killed civilians, including women and children. Iranian state media said 168 people, mostly children, were killed.
Experts reportedly said they found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed a war crime by launching an indiscriminate attack that resulted in the death and injury of civilians and damage to civilian objects.
The fact-finding mission concluded that the intended point of impact was the school building itself, rather than damage from a stray bullet or collateral damage from an attack on a nearby facility belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
The Trump administration has not directly accepted responsibility for the attack or released the conclusions of the Pentagon’s investigation.
2. Strike of the Lamerd sports complex and residential area
The second strike identified by UN-backed experts took place in Lamerd, also in southern Iran, on February 28.
Experts said Precision Strike missiles were used in the attack, scattering tungsten pellets over a “clearly identifiable sports complex and residential area”.
The UN-backed mission said 22 civilian men and women were killed in the attack.
However, the United States denied responsibility for Lamerda’s attack. US Central Command, according to the report, rejected the allegation.
What did the UN experts come to?
The mission said the two attacks killed at least 178 civilians, including women and children.
In its assessment, the mission said it had reasonable grounds to believe that the attacks constituted the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks that resulted in loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects.
The findings are not legally binding, but experts said their report adds to evidence that could potentially be used in future efforts to seek accountability through international justice mechanisms.
The mission said its conclusions were based on interviews with 73 people inside and outside Iran, as well as documents, satellite images, photographs, videos and information from credible organizations and experts.
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UN experts also accuse Iran of crimes against humanity
The report also accused Iranian security forces of serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity and civilians.
Experts said Iranian security forces have engaged in violent repression over the past two years, including firing assault rifles into crowds, beating protesters and arresting health workers.
They also cited allegations of torture and denial of access to a lawyer for detainees.
The mission said the Iranian government had stepped up its use of the death penalty and that more than 70 people, including five women and three boys, were at imminent risk of execution.
Experts said some of the violations amounted to crimes against humanity, including murder, imprisonment, torture and other inhumane acts carried out as part of a widespread and systematic attack on civilians.
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