The United Nations Human Rights Council created an independent fact-finding mission in 2022 to investigate violations stemming from the conflict that erupted in February 2026 between the United States, its Israeli ally, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The panel, chaired by Bangladeshi jurist Sara Hossain, consists of seasoned human-rights scholars and lawyers who operate under a mandate to assess alleged breaches of international humanitarian law on both sides of the confrontation.
In a report delivered to the Council in Geneva on 17 September 2026, the mission announced that it had identified “reasonable grounds” to believe that United States forces carried out two separate attacks that qualify as war crimes. The findings focus on a missile strike that hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab and a second strike on a sports complex in Lamerd, both of which caused extensive civilian casualties and damage to non-military infrastructure.
Minab school attack – evidence of an indiscriminate strike
The panel’s investigators examined satellite imagery, eyewitness testimonies, and the remnants of weaponry recovered at the scene of the Minab incident. According to Iranian authorities, more than 150 people died in the blast, including roughly 120 children. The mission concluded that the target was a clearly identifiable civilian building, and that there was no credible evidence it was being used for military purposes. The United States reportedly acted on intelligence suggesting a senior Iranian commander might have been present, but the report states that the information was never corroborated to the standard required for a lawful target.
Because the attackers proceeded despite a “substantial risk of striking a civilian object,” the mission labelled the operation an indiscriminate attack—a prohibited act under the Geneva Conventions that directly qualifies as a war crime. The United States has not publicly accepted responsibility, and a Pentagon-initiated inquiry has yet to release its preliminary conclusions.
Lamerd sports complex strike – civilian harm confirmed
The second incident analyzed by the UN team occurred on the same day, 28 February 2026, when precision missiles released tungsten pellets over a sports centre in the southern city of Lamerd. The explosion damaged adjacent residential blocks and a nearby school, injuring dozens and killing 22 civilians, according to the mission’s tally.
U.S. Central Command has denied conducting any strike in Lamerd, yet the panel’s forensic assessment of munition fragments and impact patterns aligns with the known signatures of American weaponry. By failing to verify that the site was a legitimate military objective, the mission again concluded that the attack was indiscriminate and therefore constituted a war crime.
Parallel violations by Iranian authorities
While evaluating the American strikes, the fact-finding mission also documented a sweeping pattern of abuse by Iranian security forces during protests that ignited in late December 2025. The report details unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and severe curtailment of free expression. Rights organizations estimate that official figures—3,038 dead and 25,000 injured—substantially understate the true human toll.
The panel described the Iranian response as a “widespread and systematic attack against civilians,” labeling many of those actions as potential crimes against humanity. Tehran has blamed “terrorists and rioters” backed by foreign adversaries, including the United States and Israel, for the unrest, but the UN investigation found no evidence to support that claim.
Both sets of allegations place Iranian civilians at the intersection of two devastating forces: a foreign military campaign that may have breached international law, and a domestic security crackdown that appears to violate fundamental human-rights standards. The mission’s final report will be submitted to the Human Rights Council for further deliberation and possible referral to the International Criminal Court.
