UN Report Finds US Strikes on Iran School and Sports Centre Constituted War Crimes
Reporting based primarily on channelnewsasia.com.
A UN fact-finding mission concluded that the United States committed war crimes in strikes on a school and sports facility in Iran in February 2026, while Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity in their crackdown on protests that began in late December 2025. [1]
UN Fact-Finding Mission's Mandate and Methodology
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran conducted an investigative review of events tied to the Iran war that began in February and the Iranian government's response to nationwide unrest that began in late December. [1] The mission's report will be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, where states will discuss the findings when the report is presented on Monday. [1] UN fact-finding missions operate as investigative bodies rather than judicial ones and therefore do not initiate any criminal cases. [1] Their findings can nevertheless support criminal investigations by national courts or international tribunals such as the International Criminal Court. [1] The mission examined US conduct during the war alongside Iranian authorities' actions during the protests, establishing reasonable grounds for conclusions on both sets of events. [1]
The Minab School Strike and US Responsibility
The UN experts found reasonable grounds to believe US forces were responsible for an attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in the city of Minab on Feb 28, where more than 150 people were killed, including around 120 schoolchildren, according to Iranian officials. [1] The mission determined that the attack constituted an indiscriminate attack causing civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure, amounting to a war crime under international law. [1] The school was identified as a clearly identifiable civilian object, and the experts found no evidence that it was being used for military purposes. [1] The report noted the US failure to update information in relation to the school, which was adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval complex, in its targeting databases and to confirm the building was a military objective. [1] This failure amounted to more than mere negligence, as 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. [1] In June US President Donald Trump said that "nobody" purposefully attacked a girls' school in Iran in February, citing an investigation into the incident. [1] Reuters first reported that an initial internal US military investigation showed US forces were likely responsible for the fatal strike in Minab in southern Iran, and the Pentagon has since elevated the probe but has not published any preliminary findings. [1]
UN fact-finding mission report labels US strikes on Iran school and sports centre as war crimes. — Source: newsmax
The Lamerd Sports Centre Attack
The experts reached a similar conclusion over a strike on a sports centre in Lamerd. [1] The report said the attack damaged nearby residential buildings and a school and killed and injured 22 civilians. [1] It concluded that the strike was indiscriminate and therefore constituted a war crime. [1] US Central Command said in a statement in March that US forces did not launch any strikes into the city of Lamerd on that day. [1] The mission's assessment aligned the Lamerd incident with the broader pattern of US operations examined during the February phase of the war, reinforcing the finding of recklessness in targeting decisions. [1] The damage to civilian infrastructure beyond the sports facility itself further supported the determination that the attack failed to distinguish between military and civilian objects. [1]
Iranian Crackdown on Nationwide Protests
The UN mission probe found that the Iranian authorities carried out a widespread and systematic attack against civilians during protests that erupted in late December last year, involving unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. [1] Rights groups say bystanders were among those killed during the biggest crackdown since Shi'ite Muslim clerics took power in the 1979 revolution. [1] Tehran blamed "terrorists and rioters" backed by exiled opponents and foreign foes the US and Israel. [1] The probe said it could not independently verify the death toll, but that it believed the number of dead and injured was likely far higher than official figures which say 3,038 people were killed, and 25,000 people injured. [1] The government's response to the protests, including violence and killings, cutting off the internet and use of the death penalty, marked a significant escalation from previous patterns of suppressing dissent, the report said. [1] The mission characterized the overall response as crimes against humanity due to the widespread and systematic nature of the attack on civilians. [1]
UN fact-finding mission reports US strikes on Iran school and sports centre as war crimes. — Source: anadolu
Context of the Iran War and Ongoing US Policy
The findings in the new report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran examined the US's conduct during the Iran war that began in February and the Iranian government's response to nationwide unrest that began in late December. [1] President Donald Trump said Thursday he faces a "big decision" on whether to resume massive attacks against Iran as he seeks to bring the nearly seven-month war to an end. [2] "I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I..." [2] The war context frames the February strikes examined by the mission, including the incidents in Minab and Lamerd. [1] US officials have previously said military operations are conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict. [1] The ongoing policy discussions occur against the backdrop of the mission's conclusions on the earlier strikes. [1]
Limitations and Potential Impact of the UN Report
The Iranian and US permanent missions in Geneva did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. [1] US officials have previously said military operations are conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict, while Iran has consistently rejected allegations of systematic rights violations. [1] UN fact-finding missions are investigative, not judicial bodies, and therefore do not initiate any criminal cases. [1] Their findings, however, can be used in criminal investigations by national courts or international tribunals such as the International Criminal Court. [1] The report's presentation to the Human Rights Council on Monday will allow states to discuss the conclusions without the mission itself pursuing prosecutions. [1] Prior US statements have maintained that no purposeful attack occurred on the girls' school, while Iranian authorities have rejected claims of systematic violations during the protests. [1]
What to watch next: States will discuss the findings of the report when it is presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, and President Trump has indicated a big decision is coming on whether to resume massive attacks to end the nearly seven-month war. [1] [2]
