The Independent International Fact‑Finding Mission on Iran has issued a report to the UN Human Rights Council stating that there are reasonable grounds to believe the United States carried out two missile strikes that killed at least 177 civilians in Iran. The first strike, on 28 February, struck Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, killing 156 people, including 120 children, according to local authorities. The second strike, also on 28 February, deployed Precision Strike Missiles over a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd, killing 21 civilians, seven of whom were children.
Both incidents were described by the mission’s experts as indiscriminate attacks that caused civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure. The school and the sports complex were clearly identifiable and were not reported to have been used for military purposes. The experts cited evidence that the United States is the only party in the conflict that possesses the weaponry used in both strikes, and that preliminary US military inquiries have found US forces responsible.
Despite the report, the United States has not yet released the findings of its own investigation into the Minab strike, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has reiterated that the US would never target civilian targets. The US military has denied striking Lamerd and disputed the use of the weapon identified as a Precision Strike Missile.
In addition to the missile attacks, the report documents widespread human rights violations by Iranian authorities during a crackdown on mass anti‑government protests that took place across the country in December 2025 and January 2026. The experts describe an unprecedented escalation of lethal force, including the use of assault rifles and metal shotgun pellets, resulting in mass killings, injuries, and the execution of at least 29 men following expedited trials. They also highlight the targeting of healthcare facilities and the denial of legal counsel to detainees, constituting crimes against humanity.
Iran has yet to comment on the findings, and it has previously rejected allegations of systematic human rights violations. The United Nations report warns that civilians in Iran are caught between gross violations by their own government and the deadly conflict with the United States and Israel.
Future updates will depend on the outcomes of the United States’ investigation and any further statements from Iranian authorities. The international community remains watchful of the implications for civilian protection and the rule of international humanitarian law.
