A United Nations-commissioned fact-finding mission reported on Thursday, September 17, 2026, that there are "reasonable grounds" to believe the United States committed war crimes during two military strikes in Iran. The report, which focuses on bombardments that occurred in late February 2026, alleges that American forces launched indiscriminate attacks resulting in civilian casualties. The findings will be formally submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The incidents took place during the onset of a conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. The primary focus of the report is a strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab. According to the investigators, the mission found that U.S. forces targeted the school based on intelligence suggesting a senior Iranian commander was present but failed to re-verify this information before the strike. The report states the U.S. acted "recklessly" by directing strikes at a civilian object despite the risk.
Iranian officials reported that more than 150 people died in the Minab strike, including approximately 120 children, while state media cited 168 total deaths. The mission also identified a second strike on February 28 in Lamerd, where missiles reportedly hit a sports complex and residential area, killing or injuring 22 civilians. U.S. Central Command has denied launching any strikes in Lamerd on that date. While an internal U.S. military assessment previously indicated American forces were likely responsible for the school bombing, President Donald Trump stated in June that "nobody" purposefully attacked a girls' school.
The report also documents "crimes against humanity" committed by the Iranian government. UN experts stated that Iranian state security forces engaged in unlawful killings, torture, and arbitrary detention on a "staggering scale" following anti-government protests that began in late December. While the Iranian government officially acknowledged 3,038 deaths and 25,000 injuries, the UN panel believes the actual casualty count is significantly higher.
The UN-backed panel, chaired by Sara Hossain, stated that by labeling the failure to re-verify a target as "reckless" rather than mere negligence, the mission sets a specific standard for accountability. Neither the U.S. nor Iranian missions have issued an immediate response to the latest findings, though the U.S. has previously stated its operations comply with the law of armed conflict.