UN experts flag two US strikes in Iran over possible war crimes: Which ones?

The experts said the findings were reached despite difficulties caused by the ongoing conflict, displacement and an internet shutdown in Iran, as well as limited cooperation from both governments.

UN-backed human rights experts have found “reasonable grounds” to believe that the United States committed war crimes in two deadly strikes in Iran, including an attack on a school.

The findings were published by the UN-mandated Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, which was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022. The mission, chaired by Bangladeshi jurist Sara Hossain, said the allegations centred on two US strikes carried out on February 28, at the beginning of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

According to the experts, the two strikes were in Minab and Lamerd, both in southern Iran.

1. Minab school strike

The first strike involved the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, where a US missile struck a clearly identifiable school building.

According to the UN-backed experts, the attack killed civilians, including women and children. Iranian state media has reported that 168 people were killed, most of them children.

The experts reportedly said they found reasonable grounds to believe that the United States committed the war crime of launching an indiscriminate attack resulting in civilian deaths and injuries and damage to civilian objects.

The fact-finding mission concluded that the school building itself was the intended point of impact, rather than the damage being caused by an errant missile or collateral damage from an attack on a nearby compound belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

The Trump administration has not directly accepted responsibility for the strike or released the findings of a Pentagon investigation into the bombing.

2. Lamerd sports complex and residential area strike

The second strike identified by the UN-backed experts took place in Lamerd, also in southern Iran, on February 28.

The experts said Precision Strike Missiles were used in the attack, dispersing 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 strike.

However, the United States has denied responsibility for the Lamerd attack. US Central Command has rejected the allegation, according to the report.

What did the UN experts conclude?

The mission said the two strikes resulted in the deaths of 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 resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects.

The findings are not legally binding, but the experts said their report adds to evidence that could potentially be used in future efforts to pursue 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 imagery, photographs, videos and information from credible organisations and experts.

UN experts also accuse Iran of crimes against humanity

The report also accused Iranian security forces of committing serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity against civilians.

The experts said Iranian security forces had engaged in violent repression over the past two years, including firing assault rifles into crowds, beating protesters and arresting healthcare workers.

They also reported allegations of torture and denial of access to legal counsel for detainees.

The mission said Iran's government had intensified its use of the death penalty and that more than 70 people, including five women and three boys, were at imminent risk of execution.

The 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.