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A UN independent fact-finding mission has found reasonable grounds to believe that two US strikes in Iran in February may amount to war crimes, including an attack on a primary school that killed scores of civilians.
In a report released Thursday, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said a February 28 strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab killed 156 civilians, including 120 children, according to its findings.
The mission also investigated a strike the same day on a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd, where 22 civilians were reportedly killed or injured.
Investigators said the Minab school was clearly identifiable as a civilian facility and found no evidence that military activities were being conducted there. They said the US had relied on intelligence indicating that a senior Iranian military commander was present at the site, but that the information had not been adequately verified.
The mission said the failure to update the intelligence used to identify the target and to properly establish whether the building was a military objective could not simply be viewed as negligence. It said the US was aware of a significant risk of striking a civilian facility.
The report said a US Tomahawk missile was used in the Minab strike, causing the school roof to collapse and resulting in heavy civilian casualties. The investigators said there were reasonable grounds to conclude that the attack was indiscriminate and violated international humanitarian law.
The Lamerd strike damaged a sports complex, residential areas and a nearby school. The mission said there were also sufficient grounds to consider the attack indiscriminate.
The United States rejected the findings, questioning the impartiality of the UN Human Rights Council. The Pentagon did not immediately provide detailed comment. US officials have previously said American military operations comply with international law and the laws of armed conflict.
The UN mission also accused Iranian authorities of serious abuses during the suppression of anti-government protests, saying there were reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances may amount to crimes against humanity.
The findings are due to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council and could potentially be used in future national or international accountability efforts.
