UN-backed experts cite possible US war crimes in Iran strikes

Geneva - The UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran has concluded with reasonable grounds to believe the United States was responsible for two military strikes on a school and sports facility in Iran in February, deeming these actions as war crimes. The report, to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council, also found Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.

The strikes targeted the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, resulting in the deaths of over 150 individuals, primarily schoolchildren. The UN experts found the US responsible for the indiscriminate attack, which violated international law due to the failure to properly verify intelligence before launching the strike and the reckless disregard for the risk of civilian casualties.

Another strike hit the Lamerd sports center, causing damage to nearby residential buildings and schools, and killing or injuring 22 civilians. The UN mission determined that the strike was also indiscriminate, meeting the criteria for a war crime.

Meanwhile, the report alleges that Iranian authorities engaged in a widespread and systematic attack against civilians during the protests that erupted in late December. This assault included unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. Rights groups claim that civilians, including bystanders, were among the victims of the government's violent crackdown, which has been described as the most severe since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

While Tehran blamed "terrorists and rioters" backed by the US, Israel, and other foreign foes, the UN experts could not independently verify the death toll, but believed it was significantly higher than the official figure of 3,038 killed and 25,000 injured. The government's response to the protests, marked by violence, cutting off the internet, and the use of the death penalty, represented a stark escalation from previous patterns of suppression.