Recent findings by UN human rights experts suggest that the United States may have committed war crimes during two missile attacks in Iran that resulted in the deaths of at least 177 civilians. According to a report from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, strikes in February targeted a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd, leading to significant civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure.
Details of the Strikes
The report highlights that the missile attack on Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab resulted in the deaths of at least 156 people, including 120 children. The school was located near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base, which was also targeted. Experts determined that the school was clearly marked as a civilian facility and not used for military purposes.
On the same day, a separate strike involved Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) dispersing tungsten pellets over a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd, killing at least 21 people, including seven children. The fact-finding mission found no evidence suggesting the complex was being used for military activities.
Response and Investigation
The United States has yet to officially comment on these specific allegations, although it has previously denied striking Lamerd and is conducting an investigation into the Minab incident. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that civilian targets are never deliberately attacked by US forces.
Despite these assurances, the UN experts have gathered evidence, including media reports and preliminary US military inquiries, supporting the conclusion that the US was responsible for the strikes. The report states that the US is the only country involved in the conflict that possesses the types of missiles used in these attacks.
Iran’s Internal Conflict
In addition to examining the US strikes, the report addresses the Iranian government’s response to widespread protests in late 2025 and early 2026. The fact-finding mission found that Iranian authorities used excessive force against demonstrators, resulting in mass casualties, injuries, and arrests.
The report accuses the Iranian government of crimes against humanity, including murder, imprisonment, and torture. It highlights that security forces targeted healthcare facilities and arrested medical personnel, further exacerbating the crisis.
Iranian authorities have dismissed allegations of human rights abuses, attributing the unrest to foreign interference by the US and Israel, and labeling those involved as “terrorists” and “rioters.”
