Geneva (HRNW)-\u00a0A UN-backed independent fact-finding mission on Iran has found \u201creasonable grounds\u201d to believe that the United States committed war crimes during military operations in Iran in February 2026, citing attacks on a primary school in Minab and a sports facility in Lamerd.<\/p>\n
According to the mission\u2019s report, both strikes took place on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Investigators examined the attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab and a separate strike on a sports complex in Lamerd, Fars province.<\/p>\n
The report said a US Tomahawk missile struck the school in Minab, which investigators determined was clearly identifiable as a civilian facility. Iranian authorities reported that more than 150 people were killed, including around 120 children, while other Iranian sources put the death toll at approximately 168.<\/p>\n
The mission said it found no evidence supporting claims that the school was being used for military purposes. It concluded that US forces had information suggesting a senior Iranian military commander might be present but did not adequately verify that intelligence before the strike, despite the significant risk to civilians.<\/p>\n
The investigators also examined the attack on the sports complex in Lamerd. The report said the strike caused 22 civilian casualties and damaged nearby residential buildings and a school, with fragmentation effects associated with tungsten-containing munitions. The mission classified the attack as indiscriminate and a violation of international humanitarian law.<\/p>\n
The United States has disputed responsibility for the Lamerd strike, with US Central Command stating that its forces did not conduct a strike there on February 28. Investigations by other organizations have nevertheless linked the damage to a US Precision Strike Missile, while the US has not publicly released the final findings of its own investigation into the incidents.<\/p>\n
The independent fact-finding mission was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022 and is chaired by Bangladeshi jurist Sara Hossain. The mission has called for violations of international law to stop and for victims to receive appropriate redress.<\/p>\n
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