GENEVA — The UN-backed International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran released a report on September 17, 2026, concluding that U.S. forces committed war crimes in February 2026 airstrikes and Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during protests. The mission found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed war crimes in two airstrikes in Iran on February 28, 2026, while also determining that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during a crackdown on anti-government protests that began in late December 2025.

US Central Command denied responsibility for the strike on Lamerd. In June 2026, US President Donald Trump stated that nobody purposefully attacked a girls' school in Iran in February, citing an investigation into the incident. The Trump administration has not released findings from a Pentagon investigation into the Minab school bombing.

The mission found that Iranian security forces carried out unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression during the protests. Official Iranian figures state that 3,038 people were killed and 25,000 injured during the protests. The mission stated it could not independently verify the death toll but believed the number of dead and injured was likely far higher than official figures.

The International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran is chaired by jurist Sara Hossain of Bangladesh. The International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran was created in 2022 by the UN Human Rights Council.

Why It Matters

This report marks a rare dual attribution of serious violations by both state and non-state actors within a single conflict cycle. The UN-backed International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran has previously documented systemic human rights violations by Iranian authorities, including crimes against humanity, in the context of the 2022 Woman Life Freedom protests. Amnesty International identified 87 Iranian officials, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and military chief Mohammad Bagheri, who should be investigated for crimes against humanity during the 2022 protests.

Timeline

On February 28, 2026, one strike involved Tomahawk missiles hitting the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, southern Iran. A second strike involved precision strike missiles dispersing tungsten pellets over a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd, southern Iran. The mission found that the US relied on intelligence suggesting a senior Iranian military commander was present at the Minab school but failed to adequately verify the information before launching the strike.

The mission stated that the two airstrikes killed at least 178 civilians, including women and children. Iranian officials stated that more than 150 people were killed in the Minab school strike, including around 120 schoolchildren. The mission reported that 22 civilian men and women were killed in the Lamerd strike.

What's New

Amnesty International's investigation into the Minab school strike found that the school was directly hit with precision-guided munitions as part of an attack on 12 other structures in the area. The UN mission emphasized that the US strikes on civilian targets in Minab and Lamerd occurred in areas populated by minority communities, such as the Baloch in Kuhestak and Sunni populations in Qeshm, which have historically faced discrimination. The UN mission found that Iranian security forces were responsible for unlawful killings, torture, and sexual violence during the 2022 protests, with Amnesty International reporting that 3,038 people were killed and 25,000 injured, though the mission believes the actual numbers are higher.

How Sources Differ

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran report states that the UN-backed International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed war crimes in two airstrikes in Iran on February 28, 2026. That the United Nations’ Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran corroborated reports that at least 550 Iranians were killed during the protests, including 68 children and 49 women in 26 of Iran’s 31 provinces.