A United Nations fact-finding mission has found “reasonable grounds” to believe that the United States committed a war crime in a February strike on a school in southern Iran. The February 28 attack hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, killing more than 150 people, including a large number of children, according to the UN report.Investigators said the school was a clearly identifiable civilian building and concluded that the strike was not simply an accidental hit or collateral damage. The mission also examined a separate US strike on a sports facility and nearby residential area in Lamerd that reportedly killed 22 civilians. The findings are expected to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council, while the US military says its own investigation remains ongoing.Why Did The UN Raise War Crime Concerns?The UN investigation focused on whether the US attacks complied with international humanitarian law, particularly rules requiring forces to distinguish military targets from civilian objects. Investigators said there were reasonable grounds to believe the Minab attack was an indiscriminate attack that caused civilian deaths and damage to a civilian facility. The mission also said US forces failed to take sufficient steps to verify the target.The Minab school was struck on February 28 during the opening phase of the war.The UN says more than 150 people were killed in the attack.The victims included more than 120 children, according to the investigation.A second strike in Lamerd killed 22 civilians, the report said.US authorities have not accepted the UN findings as a final determination.What Happened At Minab School?The Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School was located near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval facility that was reportedly being targeted. UN investigators said the school was clearly identifiable as a civilian structure and concluded that it was the intended point of impact rather than an accidental strike on a different target.The investigation said US forces appeared to have relied on outdated intelligence when identifying the military target. According to the report, the failure to properly verify the location went beyond ordinary negligence and amounted to reckless conduct regarding the risk to civilians. US President Donald Trump has previously described the incident as a mistake, while the Pentagon has said its own investigation remains ongoing.Also Read: South Korea Rejects Military Role in Iran War Amid Trump PressureUN Examines Second Iran StrikeThe UN mission also investigated a February 28 strike in Lamerd, where a sports centre and nearby residential buildings were hit. Investigators said the facility was visibly separate from a nearby Revolutionary Guard building and reported that 22 civilians were killed, including children. The combined strikes examined by the mission resulted in at least 178 civilian deaths, according to its findings.The report does not itself impose criminal penalties or determine a court conviction. Instead, the independent UN-backed mission documented evidence and concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe war crimes had occurred. The findings can contribute to future accountability efforts, while responsibility and criminal liability would require appropriate legal proceedings.Key HighlightsUN investigators identified reasonable grounds for possible US war crimes.The Minab school strike occurred on February 28.More than 150 people were reported killed at the school.More than 120 children were among the reported victims.A second strike in Lamerd killed 22 civilians, according to the report.The Pentagon says its separate investigation remains ongoing.ConclusionThe UN report has raised serious legal questions about two US strikes carried out in Iran during the opening phase of the war. Its investigators concluded that the Minab school attack and the Lamerd strike met the threshold for reasonable grounds to believe war crimes occurred. The United States has not publicly accepted the findings, and its own military investigation has not been released. The UN findings will now form part of wider international discussions about civilian protection and accountability during the conflict.Disclaimer: This article is provided for news and knowledge purposes only.
