A United Nations fact-finding mission has said there are reasonable grounds to believe that US forces committed war crimes in two strikes in Iran during the war that began in February, while accusing Iranian authorities of crimes against humanity during a crackdown on anti-government protests.
In a report prepared for submission to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran examined the conduct of US forces during the conflict and the Iranian government’s response to nationwide protests that began in late December.
The mission said US forces were responsible for strikes on a primary school in Minab and a sports facility in Lamerd.
It concluded that both attacks were indiscriminate and resulted in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
According to Jerusalem Post, more than 150 people were killed in the Minab school strike, including about 120 children, based on figures provided by Iranian officials.
Investigators said US forces had intelligence indicating that a senior Iranian military commander was at the location but failed to sufficiently verify the information before the attack.
The mission said the school was clearly identifiable as a civilian facility and found no evidence that it was being used for military purposes.
The investigators reached a similar conclusion regarding the Lamerd sports center, saying the strike killed or wounded 22 civilians and damaged nearby homes and a school.
However, US Central Command said in March that American forces did not conduct strikes in Lamerd that day.
US officials have previously maintained that American military operations comply with the law of armed conflict, while Iran has rejected allegations of systematic human rights violations.
The UN mission also accused Iranian authorities of a widespread and systematic campaign against civilians during the protests, citing unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and restrictions on freedom of expression.
It said the official death toll of 3,038 could not be independently verified and may have significantly underestimated the number of people killed or injured.
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