A United Nations fact-finding mission has determined there are reasonable grounds to believe that United States military forces were responsible for strikes on civilian sites in Iran in February, which resulted in the deaths of numerous civilians, including children. The mission concluded that these attacks constituted war crimes under international law. The report, scheduled for submission to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, also found that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their suppression of nationwide anti-government protests that began in late December 2025.
The investigation focused on two key incidents that occurred on February 28 in southern Iran. The first targeted the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab, Hormozgan province, where at least 156 civilians died, including approximately 120 children, according to Iranian officials. The mission reported that a US Tomahawk missile caused the school's roof to collapse. It noted the school was a clearly identifiable civilian object with no evidence supporting claims that it was being used for military purposes. The report stated US forces relied on intelligence suggesting a senior Iranian military commander was present at the site but failed to adequately verify this information before conducting the strike. Investigators described the intelligence shortcomings and failure to confirm the building’s military status as more than negligence, asserting that US forces acted recklessly given the substantial risk of hitting a civilian target.
The second incident involved a strike on a sports complex and surrounding residential area in Lamerd on the same day. This attack reportedly involved a weapon dispersing tungsten pellets, damaging nearby buildings and a school, and resulting in 22 civilian casualties through deaths and injuries. The UN mission classified the strike as indiscriminate, thereby constituting a war crime. However, US Central Command has denied launching any strikes in Lamerd on that date.
The broader investigation also examined the Iranian government’s response to mass protests beginning in December 2025. The mission found evidence that Iranian authorities conducted a widespread and systematic campaign against civilians, including unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. While the mission could not independently verify the exact death toll, it stated the actual number of casualties and injuries was likely significantly higher than official government figures, which report 3,038 deaths and 25,000 injuries. Rights groups have highlighted that many bystanders were among those killed in the crackdown, which represents the most severe use of force since the Islamic Republic’s establishment in 1979. The Iranian government has attributed the unrest to “terrorists and rioters” supported by exiled opposition groups, the US, and Israel.
US officials have maintained that military operations are conducted in accordance with the laws of armed conflict. In June, then-President Donald Trump stated that no deliberate attack on the girls’ school had occurred, citing a US investigation, although the Pentagon has since elevated the inquiry without releasing findings. Iranian authorities consistently reject allegations of systematic rights abuses.
The UN fact-finding mission’s report highlights the complexities of armed conflict and internal repression in Iran and calls for accountability regarding violations perpetrated by both US and Iranian actors. Neither the Iranian nor US diplomatic missions in Geneva immediately responded to requests for comment following the report’s release.