UN Experts Say There Are Grounds to Believe US Committed War Crimes in Iran Strikes
GENEVA — September 17, 2026

A United Nations-backed fact-finding mission on Iran said Thursday that it had “reasonable grounds” to believe that the United States committed war crimes in connection with two military strikes in Iran in February.

The findings come from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, an investigative body established by the UN Human Rights Council. The mission examined the conduct of the United States during the conflict in Iran, as well as the Iranian government’s response to nationwide anti-government protests.

Strike on School in Minab
One of the incidents investigated was a strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, southern Iran.

According to Iranian officials cited by the UN mission, more than 150 people were killed in the attack, including approximately 120 schoolchildren.

The investigators concluded that the school was a clearly identifiable civilian object and said they found no evidence that it was being used for military purposes.

The mission said there were reasonable grounds to believe US forces were responsible for the strike and concluded that the attack was indiscriminate, resulting in civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure.

Investigators also examined the intelligence used in the targeting process. The report said US forces had intelligence indicating that a senior Iranian military commander might have been present at the site, but that the information was not adequately verified before the attack.

The mission said the failure to update targeting information and establish that the school was a military objective went beyond what it characterized as simple negligence.

The United States has not publicly released the findings of its own Pentagon investigation into the incident. President Donald Trump previously said that nobody had intentionally targeted a girls’ school in Iran.

Second Strike in Lamerd
The UN mission also examined a strike involving a sports facility in Lamerd.

According to the report, the attack damaged nearby residential buildings and a school and resulted in 22 civilian deaths and injuries. The investigators concluded that the strike was indiscriminate and therefore constituted a war crime under international law.

However, the US military has disputed responsibility for the Lamerd incident. US Central Command said in March that American forces had not carried out strikes in the city on the day in question.

UN Mission Also Accuses Iranian Authorities
The report did not focus exclusively on US military actions. The UN fact-finding mission also concluded that Iranian authorities carried out a widespread and systematic campaign against civilians during anti-government protests that began in late December.

The investigators reported allegations including unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and severe restrictions on freedom of expression.

The mission said it could not independently verify the overall death toll but believed the number of people killed and injured was likely considerably higher than official Iranian figures.

Iranian authorities have rejected allegations of systematic human rights violations and have described protesters as being supported by foreign adversaries and opposition groups.

What the UN Findings Mean
The UN fact-finding mission is an investigative body, not a criminal court. Its findings do not themselves constitute a criminal conviction or automatically establish legal liability.

However, the evidence collected by such investigations can potentially be used in future proceedings before national courts or international tribunals.

The findings are expected to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The United States has previously maintained that its military operations are conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict, while Iranian authorities have rejected allegations of systematic abuses.

The report therefore adds another significant layer to the international scrutiny surrounding the conflict, particularly concerning the protection of civilians and the legal obligations of parties conducting military operations.

Sources: Reuters reported on September 17, 2026, on the UN mission’s findings and the responses from the United States and Iran. The Associated Press independently reported the UN-backed findings and the US government’s rejection of the mission’s conclusions. ABC News also reported the findings concerning the Minab school strike and the mission’s broader investigation.