UN-Backed Experts Cite Possible US War Crimes in Airstrikes on Iran

What happened

Naharnet reports that UN-backed human rights experts commissioned by the UN’s Human Rights Council have found "reasonable grounds" to believe that the United States committed war crimes in two airstrikes carried out in Iran on February 28, including one that targeted the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, a southern city.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The fact-finding mission, chaired by jurist Sara Hossain and composed of independent experts, states these strikes killed at least 178 civilians, including women and children, though casualty figures differ: Iranian state media claim 168 killed at the school strike alone. The US and Israeli attacks are said to have involved Tomahawk missiles and precision munitions dispersing tungsten pellets over a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd, killing an additional 22 civilians according to the report.

The US Central Command denies responsibility for the Lamerd strike and the Trump administration has not accepted blame or publicly released its Pentagon investigation findings related to the school bombing. The UN mission also highlights extensive killings by Iranian state security forces and accuses the Iranian government of crimes against humanity in the conflict context, emphasizing civilians caught between these violations and the broader Iran-US-Israel hostilities.

Known from the source

• UN-backed experts report "reasonable grounds" to believe the US committed war crimes in two airstrikes in Iran on February 28, including one on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab.
• The strikes reportedly killed at least 178 civilians including women and children.
• Iranian state media claim 168 killed at the Minab school strike, mostly children.
• Another airstrike targeted a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd, reportedly killing 22 civilians.
• US Central Command denies responsibility for the Lamerd strike.

What remains unclear

Though the reported events concern Iran, analysts following Lebanon will note the implications regarding the conduct of airstrikes and civilian harm in the wider regional conflict, particularly the role of the US and Israel - actors also involved in Lebanon via their interactions with Hezbollah and regional security dynamics monitored by UNIFIL and Lebanese officials.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verify casualty figures for both strikes and reconcile differences between sources. Confirm attribution for the Lamerd strike beyond the US Central Command denial. Check for any official US government or Pentagon responses addressing the claims.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Naharnet Lebanon. Open the source.