UN report accuses US of war crimes in February air strikes on Iranian school and sports complex

Findings on the Minab school strike

An independent investigation commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council concluded that US forces likely committed war crimes during military strikes in southern Iran on 28 February 2026. The most lethal incident occurred at approximately 10:30 local time (07:00 GMT), when US Tomahawk cruise missiles hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, Hormozgan province. Investigators found that the facility was hit twice, first on the lower level and subsequently on the upper floor as teachers evacuated children into an upstairs prayer room. The school stood roughly 72 metres from an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval facility, separated by an external wall, with clear exterior murals, a playground, and active classrooms. Weapons analysts identified Tomahawk fragments at the site, which Iranian forces do not possess.

“The Mission concluded that when identifying and directing its attack against the primary school in Minab, whose civilian nature is apparent, the US failed in its obligation to do everything feasible to verify that it was a military objective.”

Different records place the death toll in Minab between 150 and 168. Local officials recorded 156 deaths, including 120 children and 26 female teachers. Independent sources cited in the report tallied 157 fatalities, among them 15 six-year-old children, while separate Iranian government statements cited 168 dead pupils.

Local officials156

Independent sources cited by UN157

Iranian authorities168

Local officials

156 people

Independent sources cited by UN

157 people

Iranian authorities

168 people

Data from the article text

The Lamerd sports complex strike

A second strike on 28 February occurred at roughly 17:10 local time (13:40 GMT) in Lamerd. Missiles struck a sports complex and an adjacent residential area, killing or injuring 22 civilians, with at least 177 to 178 total civilian deaths recorded across both targeted locations. Reporting in the investigation noted that the Lamerd strike involved air-burst munitions dispersing tungsten pellets across a populated area that was visibly civilian in nature. Investigators stated that US commanders acted recklessly by ordering the strikes based on unverified or outdated intelligence regarding an Iranian commander.

Accusations against Iranian authorities

Beyond the US military actions, the three-member panel documented systematic abuses committed by Iranian security personnel against their own civilian population. The report found that Iranian authorities carried out crimes against humanity during the suppression of nationwide anti-government demonstrations in January 2026. These killings occurred across all 31 provinces.

“Civilians in Iran are caught between serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by their own government, and the deadly conflict the country maintains with the United States and Israel.”

Reactions from Washington and Tehran

US authorities refused to provide information or grant personnel access to the UN team during the investigation. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly rejected the conclusions, asserting that the Human Rights Council has accomplished nothing for human rights over several decades and produces meaningless nonsense. Kelly stated that Iran remains the primary perpetrator of regional war crimes, pointing to Tehran's lethal crackdown on domestic protesters, attacks on Americans abroad, actions in the Strait of Hormuz, and strikes against neighboring states. US Central Command denied responsibility for the Lamerd strike, while the State Department said Washington gives no credibility to the panel's conclusions. The UN panel is scheduled to formally present its complete report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.