UN mission says US strikes in Iran may constitute war crimes

A UN fact-finding mission has said there are reasonable grounds to believe that US forces carried out two strikes in Iran that amounted to war crimes during the conflict that began in February.

The findings were included in a report prepared for submission to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The investigation examined US military actions during the war as well as Iran’s response to nationwide protests that began in December.

The mission said one of the strikes targeted Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab. Iranian officials said more than 150 people were killed in the attack, including about 120 schoolchildren.

According to the UN investigators, the school was clearly identifiable as a civilian facility. They said they found no evidence that it was being used for military purposes.

The report said US forces had intelligence indicating that a senior Iranian military commander could be at the location. However, investigators concluded that the information was not sufficiently verified before the strike was carried out.

The mission said the failure to properly assess the target and update intelligence created a substantial risk of hitting a civilian site. It concluded that the attack was indiscriminate and caused civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure.

The investigators also examined a US strike on a sports facility in Lamerd. The attack reportedly damaged nearby residential buildings and a school and resulted in 22 civilian deaths and injuries. The mission similarly classified the strike as indiscriminate.

US officials have previously maintained that American military operations comply with the law of armed conflict. US Central Command also said in March that American forces had not conducted strikes in Lamerd on the date cited in the report.

The UN mission separately accused Iranian authorities of serious violations during their crackdown on anti-government protests. It said the response amounted to a widespread and systematic attack against civilians.

The alleged abuses included unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and restrictions on freedom of expression.

The investigators said they could not independently confirm the overall death toll. However, they said the number of people killed and injured was likely significantly higher than official figures, which put deaths at 3,038 and injuries at 25,000.

The report said the Iranian government’s use of violence, internet shutdowns and capital punishment represented a major escalation in its response to dissent.