UN mission finds grounds to believe U.S. committed war crimes in strikes on Iranian school, sports centre

A UN inquiry has concluded that the United States may have committed war crimes by targeting a school and sports facility in Iran in February, resulting in over 150 deaths. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran found that the US was responsible for an indiscriminate attack, which caused civilian deaths and damage to infrastructure.

The mission also determined that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their violent response to anti-government protests in late December. These findings will be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The US has previously stated that its military operations comply with international law, while Iran has consistently denied allegations of systematic rights violations.

The UN experts concluded that the US had failed to verify intelligence suggesting a senior Iranian military commander was present at the school site before launching the strike. They also found that the US acted recklessly by directing the attack while being aware of a substantial risk of civilian casualties. Similarly, the mission found that Iranian authorities committed widespread and systematic violations of human rights during the protests, including unlawful killings, torture, and enforced disappearances.

The government's crackdown on dissent, including the use of violence, internet cuts, and the death penalty, was found to be a significant escalation from previous suppression tactics.