A recent United Nations investigation concluded that the United States was likely responsible for carrying out two military strikes on a school and sports facility in Iran, causing significant civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. The report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, set to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council, highlighted the alleged war crimes committed by both the U.S. and Iranian authorities.
The investigation indicated that the U.S. military may have conducted a deadly attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School, resulting in the deaths of over 150 individuals, including approximately 120 schoolchildren. The mission classified the strike as a violation of international law, as it resulted in indiscriminate civilian casualties and infrastructure destruction.
According to the report, the U.S. allegedly targeted the school based on faulty intelligence, failing to verify the presence of a senior Iranian military figure before launching the attack. The investigators criticized the U.S. for recklessly endangering civilians by targeting a clearly identifiable civilian structure.
Furthermore, the report detailed a separate strike on a sports center in Lamerd, Iran, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of 22 civilians and damage to nearby residential buildings and a school. The mission concluded that this strike also constituted a war crime due to its indiscriminate nature.
On the other hand, the investigation found that Iranian authorities had engaged in numerous human rights violations during the crackdown on anti-government protests in late December. These violations included unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. The report highlighted the significant escalation in the government’s suppression tactics compared to previous instances of dissent.
Despite the findings, both the Iranian and U.S. permanent missions in Geneva have yet to provide comments on the report. The U.S. has previously maintained that its military operations adhere to the laws of armed conflict, while Iran has consistently denied allegations of systematic rights abuses.