UN mission finds grounds to believe US strikes in Iran were war crimes and Tehran committed crimes against humanity

The mission examined strikes on a clearly identifiable primary school in Minab and on a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd. It said the two attacks killed at least 178 civilians, including women and children. The final toll at the Minab school remains disputed.

The mission said there were reasonable grounds to believe the United States launched indiscriminate attacks causing civilian deaths, injuries and damage to civilian objects. US Central Command previously denied responsibility for the Lamerd strike; the White House rejected the report, and Washington has not released a complete investigation into the Minab school strike.

The same report said killings, imprisonment, torture and other inhumane acts by Iranian security forces over the past two years formed part of a widespread and systematic attack on civilians, with several acts meeting the threshold for crimes against humanity. It also documented increased use of the death penalty.

The Human Rights Council established the mission, which based its findings on 73 interviews, satellite imagery, photographs, videos and information from credible organizations. Its report is not a court judgment, but it can inform Council debate and future legal proceedings.