A report released by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran has concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed war crimes during missile strikes in February. The investigation focused on two incidents: a strike on a primary school in Minab and an attack on a sports complex in Lamerd, which together resulted in the deaths of at least 177 civilians.

Regarding the Minab incident on February 28, the report states that Tomahawk missiles hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School, killing at least 156 people, including 120 children. Experts noted that the school was clearly identifiable and showed no signs of military use. While the US has stated it is investigating the event, the UN mission concluded that the school was the intended target rather than collateral damage from a nearby naval complex. In Lamerd, the report attributes the deaths of 21 civilians to the use of Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The US military has denied conducting strikes in Lamerd and disputed the identification of the weaponry used.

A US State Department official stated that the government does not grant credibility to the report's findings. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously asserted that the US military does not target civilian infrastructure.

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The same report also addressed the Iranian government’s response to anti-government protests occurring in late 2025 and early 2026. The mission found that Iranian security forces engaged in a systematic crackdown involving lethal force across all 31 provinces. The experts documented instances of security personnel firing into crowds, attacking healthcare facilities, and subjecting tens of thousands of detainees to torture and solitary confinement. The report concludes that these actions constitute crimes against humanity, including murder and severe deprivation of liberty.

While the Iranian government has not officially commented on this specific report, it has historically denied allegations of systematic human rights abuses, instead blaming the unrest on foreign interference and "terrorists." The UN experts warned that civilians in the region remain trapped between the violent actions of the Iranian state and the ongoing military conflict with the US and Israel.

Source: BBC News