A newly released report by a UN fact-finding mission indicates that US military strikes against Iran may have violated international law and potentially constitute war crimes. The report specifically highlights a deadly attack on a primary school in southern Iran in late February, which claimed the lives of over a hundred children. The investigative team concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe the US military is responsible for this incident, which resulted in severe civilian casualties, and failed to take necessary measures to verify the military nature of the target. Additionally, the report mentions another airstrike on a sports center, also classified as an indiscriminate attack, although the US Central Command has denied this.
In response to the UN's allegations, Washington has not yet formally acknowledged any responsibility. The White House quickly retaliated, with its spokesperson issuing a statement criticizing the UN Human Rights Council's long-standing remarks as baseless and yielding no substantive results. It also emphasized that in this conflict, the Iranian regime is the one truly committing war crimes, accusing it of carrying out terrorist activities both domestically and internationally and persecuting its own people. The Pentagon, meanwhile, refused to comment on the specific findings of the report, stating only that an internal investigation is ongoing.
Looking back at previous military operations, the US government has maintained a tough stance. The commander of the US Central Command previously admitted during a congressional hearing that some of the strikes were linked to the US military. When faced with external questions regarding war crimes, the US President bluntly stated that mistakes are inevitable, showing a disregard for related legal risks. During the drafting of the report, the UN investigative team made multiple attempts to obtain detailed information from the US side regarding these airstrikes and sought meetings with US officials, but received no response.
In addition to the allegations against the US military, the mission's report also documented severe human rights violations within Iran, involving issues such as torture, deprivation of the right to a fair trial, and restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly. The report further pointed out that Iran's widespread internet shutdowns and communication restrictions have severely impacted people's right to access information. The release of this highly anticipated report comes as world leaders prepare to travel to New York for the annual general debate of the UN General Assembly.
