UN finds 'reasonable grounds' US committed war crimes in Iran strikes killing 150+

A United Nations fact-finding mission has concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed war crimes in two separate strikes on Iran that killed more than 150 civilians, including approximately 120 children. The findings, released by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to the UN Human Rights Council, examined two of the deadliest attacks that followed the US and Israeli military campaign against Iran beginning February 28.

On that day, Tomahawk missiles struck Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, a city in southern Iran. Local authorities reported at least 156 people dead, with roughly 120 of them children. The UN experts found the school was clearly identifiable as a civilian structure and discovered no evidence it was being used for military purposes. Though the school sat adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval complex that was also attacked that morning, the investigators concluded the school itself was the intended target, not collateral damage from a misdirected weapon. Survivors told the mission the building was hit twice. The experts based their attribution to the United States on several factors: media reports indicating a preliminary US military inquiry had found American forces responsible, the fact that the US was the only party to the conflict known to possess Tomahawk missiles, and the distinctive pattern of destruction. The US military has not publicly released its own investigation findings. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the military would "never target civilian targets."

The second attack occurred in Lamerd, where Precision Strike Missiles dispersed tungsten pellets across a sports complex and the residential neighborhood surrounding it. Local authorities documented at least 21 civilian deaths, including seven children. Again, the UN mission found no indication the site had any military function. The experts cited US possession of PrSM missiles as evidence linking the attack to Washington. The US military, however, has denied conducting strikes on Lamerd that day and disputed the identification of the weapon used.

The report's scope extended beyond the February strikes. The mission also documented Iran's security forces crackdown on mass protests that erupted in December 2025 and continued into January 2026. The scale of killing was, in the experts' assessment, "staggering and unprecedented." At least 221 children, some as young as two years old, were killed across all 31 provinces. Security forces attacked hospitals, beating and arresting wounded protesters and detaining healthcare workers—actions the mission said discouraged people from seeking medical care. Tens of thousands were held without legal justification and subjected to torture, solitary confinement, and denial of legal counsel. At least 29 men were executed following expedited trials connected to the protests, while more than 70 people, including five women and three boys, faced imminent execution.

The UN experts determined that many of these violations by Iran constituted crimes against humanity, specifically murder, imprisonment, torture, and other inhumane acts carried out as part of a widespread and systematic campaign against civilians. The mission called on both the United States and Iran to immediately stop the violations, provide compensation to victims, and ensure such acts do not recur. They urged independent investigations into alleged breaches by all parties and accountability for those responsible. The findings arrive as the UN grapples with broader concerns about international law violations in conflicts involving major powers. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that deepening geopolitical divisions and dysfunction at the Security Council have fostered an environment where powerful nations disregard international law with little consequence.