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UN experts reported reasonable grounds that two U.S. strikes in Iran, including on a school, constituted war crimes.
U.N.-mandated human rights experts say there are reasonable grounds to believe two U.S. strikes in Iran may have constituted war crimes, including an attack on a school that killed civilians. The findings come as President Donald Trump says the nearly seven-month U.S.-Iran war could be nearing an end, while fighting and disruptions to shipping continue.
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, established by the U.N. Human Rights Council, said its findings concern two U.S. strikes carried out Feb. 28. One struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, in southern Iran, while the other hit a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd. The experts said the attacks caused at least 178 civilian deaths, including women and children.
The mission said it found reasonable grounds to believe the attacks amounted to indiscriminate attacks against civilian objects and resulted in civilian deaths and injuries. In its assessment of the Minab strike, the experts said the school appeared to have been the intended point of impact rather than damage caused by an errant missile. The findings are not a court ruling and the mission does not have the authority to prosecute individuals.
The U.S. government has rejected the findings. The White House and State Department questioned the credibility of the U.N. Human Rights Council and said the United States does not accept the mission’s conclusions. U.S. Central Command has also maintained that American forces do not deliberately target civilians.
The same U.N. investigation accused Iranian authorities of committing crimes against humanity during a crackdown on anti-government protests. The experts cited alleged unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention and other abuses by Iranian security forces, making clear that their report examined alleged violations by both sides rather than only U.S. military conduct.
The findings come as the conflict continues to affect regional security and global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas normally passes, has experienced a sharp decline in commercial shipping, while recent attacks on vessels have added to concerns about energy supplies and maritime security.
Trump has said he believes Iran wants to reach a deal and recently suggested the conflict could be approaching its conclusion. At the same time, his administration continues to weigh military and diplomatic options, with Trump expected to discuss the war and regional security with Gulf leaders during the United Nations General Assembly.
Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, BBC, CNBC, WINK News and World Socialist Web Site