A U.N. fact-finding mission on Iran said Thursday it had reasonable grounds to believe the United States was behind two military strikes on a school and a sports facility in Iran in February — and that those attacks constituted war crimes, Reuters reported from Geneva.
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, whose report goes to the U.N. Human Rights Council, said experts found reasonable grounds to believe U.S. forces hit Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, where Iranian officials say more than 150 people were killed, including around 120 schoolchildren. The mission called the school a clearly identifiable civilian object, found no evidence it was used for military purposes, and said the U.S. acted recklessly while aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian building next to an IRGC naval complex. Experts reached a similar conclusion on a sports-centre strike in Lamerd that killed and injured 22 civilians. U.S. Central Command said in March that U.S. forces did not launch any strikes into Lamerd that day. President Trump said in June that “nobody” purposefully attacked a girls’ school; the Pentagon has elevated its probe but has not published preliminary findings.
The same report found Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during the crackdown on protests that erupted in late December — unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and severe curbs on expression. Official figures put the toll at 3,038 dead and 25,000 injured; the mission said the real numbers are likely far higher. Neither the Iranian nor U.S. permanent missions in Geneva immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment.
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