UN: US committed war crimes in Iran strikes killing 177
UN human rights experts report reasonable grounds that US missile strikes in Minab and Lamerd killed 177 civilians, including 120 children, while accusing Iranian authorities of crimes against humanity.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- UN independent experts state there are reasonable grounds that the US committed war crimes in two Iran strikes.
- February missile strikes on a Minab primary school and Lamerd sports complex left at least 177 civilians dead.
- The UN report also accuses Iranian authorities of crimes against humanity during anti-government protest crackdowns across 31 provinces.
- The US has denied parts of the allegations and launched investigations, while Iran has not yet commented on the latest findings.
United Nations human rights experts have released a report from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, concluding there are reasonable grounds to believe the US military committed war crimes during two separate airstrikes that killed at least 177 civilians.
The incidents occurred on February 28, the day the US and Israel launched their military conflict against Iran. Tomahawk missiles struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in the southern town of Minab, resulting in at least 156 deaths, including 120 children, according to local authorities.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The experts noted that although the school was adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval complex targeted that day, the school was clearly identifiable and showed no signs of military use. Evidence, including media reports of preliminary US military inquiries, indicated that the US was the sole party in the conflict possessing Tomahawk missiles.
On the same day, Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) dispersed tungsten pellets over a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd, killing at least 21 civilians, including seven children. Investigators confirmed the sports complex was also a clearly identifiable civilian site, though the US Department of Defense denied conducting any strikes in Lamerd that day.
"We would never target civilian targets."
Pete Hegseth, US Defense Secretary
This report highlights the profound humanitarian consequences arising from modern military engagements in populated areas. Under international humanitarian law, belligerents are strictly obligated to distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives, making precision strikes near schools and sports facilities subjects of intense international legal scrutiny.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
In addition to US military actions, the UN report investigated the violent suppression of mass anti-government protests across Iran between December 2025 and January 2026. Experts documented widespread lethal force by security forces across all 31 provinces, leading to mass casualties, tens of thousands of detentions, and at least 29 executions of protesters.
Source: BBC World
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