Image source, WANA via Reuters
United Nations human rights experts have stated there is sufficient basis to believe that at least 177 civilians were killed in two US airstrikes in Iran and that the United States committed war crimes in these incidents.
According to a new report released by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran (IIFFM), missile strikes in February targeted a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd. While these attacks were not aimed at security targets, they resulted in indiscriminate civilian deaths and damage to civil infrastructure.
The United States had previously denied involvement in the Lamerd strike and stated that an investigation was ongoing regarding the Minab incident.
A US State Department official said the United States does not consider the findings of the report credible.
The experts have also concluded that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity through the brutal crackdown on widespread anti-government protests in January.
According to the experts, killings by security forces across all 31 provinces of the country reached an “astonishing and unprecedented level.”
So far, Iran has not responded to the findings but has previously denied systemic human rights violations.
The latest report prepared for the UN Human Rights Council comes from three independent experts of the mission who investigated two of the deadliest attacks on civilians during the conflict.
On February 28, the day the US and Israel reportedly began war against Iran, a Tomahawk missile struck Shahzare Taebe Primary School in the southern city of Minab.
Local officials reported at least 156 deaths in the attack, including 120 children.
Experts from the IIFFM noted that next to the school is a naval facility of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), but the school was clearly identifiable and there is no concrete evidence that it was used for military purposes.
Based on the US military’s preliminary investigation suggesting their responsibility, the exclusivity of the Tomahawk missile to the US, reports from media, and collected evidence, the mission experts believe there is sufficient basis to conclude that the US conducted the attack on the school.
The US military has yet to publicly release findings from its investigation into the Minab strike, but US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stated that the US military “would never target civilian structures.”
On the same day, a precision strike missile carrying tungsten fragments targeted a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd, where local authorities reported at least 21 civilian deaths, including seven children.
Experts noted the sports complex was clearly identifiable and there is no evidence of its use for military purposes.
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