The UN Fact-Finding Mission for Iran indicated that there are "reasonable grounds" to believe that the United States committed war crimes during two strikes launched at the onset of the war against Iranian territory, while also accusing Iran of possible crimes against humanity for its violent suppression of protests prior to the conflict.

In an initial report published this Thursday (17.09.2026) to be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the three-expert mission identified alleged war crimes by the United States in the February 28 bombings—the first day of hostilities—targeting a school in Minab and a residential area in Lamerd, both located in southern Iran.

The UN-backed investigative team cited war crime allegations regarding two specific attacks: one involving Tomahawk missiles against the "clearly identifiable" school, and another airstrike in which precision missiles dispersed tungsten pellets over a "clearly identifiable sports complex and residential area" in the southern city of Lamerd, also on February 28.

In the Minab attack, which resulted in the deaths of more than 150 people, including approximately 120 minors, the United States "committed the war crime of launching an indiscriminate attack causing death and injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects," stated the mission's first report, which was established following the outbreak of the war.

The Trump administration has not yet directly assumed responsibility nor published the findings of a Pentagon investigation into the school bombing, which officials in May indicated was near completion.

The team also affirmed that deaths caused by state security forces occurred at an "alarming scale" in Iran, denouncing crimes against humanity committed by the Iranian government. It noted that civilians were caught between "severe human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by their own government, and the nation's deadly conflict with the United States and Israel."

Iran has previously denied the UN's legitimacy to investigate the protests, following prior accusations of crimes against humanity made against the regime.