UN Report Suggests US Conducted War Crimes in Iran Attacks

United Nations human rights experts have reported reasonable grounds to believe that the United States committed war crimes in two separate missile strikes in Iran, resulting in the deaths of at least 177 civilians. The findings come from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, which highlighted attacks on a primary school and a sports complex in late February.

On 28 February, Tomahawk missiles reportedly struck Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in the town of Minab, killing at least 156 individuals, including 120 children. Experts noted that the school was clearly identifiable and had no evidence indicating military use, asserting it was the intended target of the strike. The report suggests the US is the only party in the conflict possessing such weaponry.

A State Department official has denied the US conducted a strike on Lamerd, stating that investigations into the incident in Minab are ongoing. "We do not give credibility to the findings in the report," the official added.

The military's response to the incidents remains unclear, but Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted that the US would never target civilian targets. In a separate incident, precision missiles dispersed over a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd, leading to the deaths of 21 individuals, seven of whom were children.

The mission’s experts supported their assessments by citing media reports indicating that a preliminary US military inquiry had identified US forces as responsible for the Minab strike.

Simultaneously, the report detailed alarming findings on the Iranian government’s crackdown on anti-government protests in January, describing killings by security forces on an unprecedented scale across all provinces. The crackdown involved the use of excessive force, with witnesses detailing assaults on healthcare facilities and widespread arrests. The report highlighted the use of lethal methods and stated that the Iranian authorities have committed "gross human rights violations" during this period.

As the international community awaits a response from both the US and Iran, the situation remains volatile as civilians in Iran face significant dangers from both governmental and foreign conflicts. The fact-finding mission warned that civilians are caught between severe human rights abuses by their own government and ongoing hostilities with the United States and Israel.

The findings add to the existing tensions between the US and Iran, particularly as both nations navigate a complex geopolitical landscape fraught with accusations and ongoing violence. The international response to these developments and their implications for human rights in the region continues to be under scrutiny.