UN States US Indicated to Have Committed War Crimes in Iran
Experts from the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Iran have stated there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed war crimes during two attacks in Iran. In a report released on Thursday (17/09), the team also accused the Iranian government of committing crimes against humanity against its own people.
The mission, established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022, is led by Bangladeshi legal expert Sara Hossain and consists of independent experts. They are scheduled to present their findings to the 40-member UN Human Rights Council on Monday (21/09).
The investigation covers US actions in the war in Iran that began in February, as well as the Iranian government’s response to waves of national unrest since late December. Although not legally binding, the report serves as international documentation regarding the war in Iran and could serve as powerful evidence for bringing cases to international courts.
US Attacks in Minab and Lamerd
Findings from the UN team include references to two attacks that occurred on 28 February. The first involved Tomahawk missiles hitting the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, which the report identifies clearly as a civilian facility. Iranian officials stated that more than 150 people were killed in the attack, including approximately 120 schoolchildren. The UN mission assessed that the attack was indiscriminate, resulting in civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure. According to the report, such actions constitute war crimes under international law. UN experts also stated that the school was a civilian facility and found no evidence that the location was used for military purposes.
Another attack occurred at a sports centre in Lamerd, southern Iran. According to the UN team, a Precision Strike Missile dispersed tungsten pellets over a “clearly identifiable sports complex and residential area.” The attack also damaged residential buildings and a nearby school, killing and injuring 22 civilians. The report assessed the Lamerd attack as indiscriminate and classified it as a war crime. However, in a statement last March, US Central Command (CENTCOM) denied that its forces launched attacks in Lamerd on that day.
US Reaction?
The Pentagon has declined to comment further on the report as the investigation is ongoing. “Our investigation is ongoing and there is currently nothing we can announce,” the Pentagon said in a statement. Meanwhile, the White House responded harshly to the report. Spokesperson Anna Kelly stated that the UN’s highest human rights body “has never produced anything for human rights, while for decades spreading serious nonsense.”
“The only party in this conflict committing war crimes is the Iranian regime, which has killed thousands of its own people, killed Americans abroad, engaged in terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz, and launched indiscriminate attacks against neighbouring countries in the region,” said Kelly.
US and Iran Urged to Provide Reparations to Victims
UN experts have called on the United States and Iran to cease all human rights violations and crimes, and to provide “full reparations to the victims.” The report was compiled using a “victim-centred approach,” based on interviews with 73 individuals inside and outside Iran. The team also utilised documentation, satellite imagery, photos, videos, and information from organisations and experts deemed “credible.”
Efforts to gather information were hindered by the ongoing conflict and the displacement of citizens in Iran. Internet shutdowns and a lack of cooperation from both the Iranian and US governments also hampered the investigation. Experts noted that nearly three dozen requests for information sent to the Iranian government went unanswered. Requests to the US government in June, including requests for information and meetings with officials, also received no response.
Crackdown on Protesters in Iran
The UN investigation also found that Iranian authorities carried out widespread and systematic attacks against civilians during the wave of protests that broke out in late December. According to the report, these actions included extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and strict restrictions on freedom of expression. Human rights groups noted that numerous individuals not directly involved in the protests also fell victim. The crackdown is described as the largest since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, when the Shia Muslim clergy took power.
Tehran blamed “terrorists and rioters” who, according to them, received support from opposition groups in exile and foreign parties, including the US and Israel. The UN team stated they could not independently verify the exact number of casualties. However, they believe the number of dead and injured is likely much higher than the official figures of 3,038 deaths and 25,000 injuries.