U.N.-Backed Experts Cite Possible U.S. War Crimes in Iran Strikes

Human rights experts commissioned by the top human rights body of the United Nations have reported finding "reasonable grounds" to conclude that the United States committed war crimes during two separate airstrikes in Iran. According to the international fact-finding mission on Iran, the allegations center on military actions that resulted in high civilian casualties, including the deaths of numerous women and children.

The findings were detailed by the U.N.-backed fact-finding team, which is chaired by jurist Sara Hossain of Bangladesh and was originally established in 2022 by the U.N. Human Rights Council. The mission's latest assessment focuses heavily on a pair of deadly strikes carried out on Feb. 28, which investigators argue violated international humanitarian standards by launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in civilian deaths, injuries, and damage to civilian objects.

Among the central incidents investigated by the team is a deadly strike on a school located in the southern Iranian city of Minab. The U.N.-backed experts noted that the school was "clearly identifiable." Iranian state media and health officials reported that approximately 170 people were killed in that attack, the majority of whom were schoolgirls between the ages of 7 and 12.

Regarding the Minab school bombing, a person briefed on the matter told CBS News that a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment suggested the United States was "likely" responsible for the attack, which utilized Tomahawk missiles on the opening day of the conflict. However, that preliminary assessment indicated the facility was not intentionally targeted and may have been struck in error. The potential miscalculation may have stemmed from dated intelligence that incorrectly identified the area as still functioning as part of an Iranian military installation.

The Trump administration has not directly accepted responsibility for the attack on the Minab school, nor has it publicly released the formal findings of any Pentagon investigation into the incident.

In addition to the Minab strike, the U.N.-backed team alleged that the United States committed war crimes in connection with a separate missile strike in the southern city of Lamerd. Investigators stated that this strike dispersed tungsten pellets over a clearly identifiable sports complex and residential area, resulting in the deaths of 22 civilian men and women. In contrast to the preliminary assessments surrounding the school, U.S. Central Command has formally denied responsibility for the strike in Lamerd.

The international fact-finding mission also addressed actions taken by domestic authorities within Iran. The experts reported that Iran's state security forces had committed killings on a "staggering scale" during a January crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests, concluding that those domestic actions amounted to "crimes against humanity."

In its overall evaluation, the U.N.-backed team described a devastating environment where ordinary civilians found themselves trapped between gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity perpetrated by their own government, alongside the nation's deadly military conflict with the United States and Israel. The independent panel continues to monitor and report on human rights abuses and violations of international law stemming from the ongoing geopolitical crisis in the region.