A United Nations fact-finding mission said there was evidence to believe the United States committed war crimes during the Iran war, lending credence to similar claims by the Iranian government.
The U.N.’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said Thursday there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that the U.S. military “committed a war crime by launching an indiscriminate attack resulting in loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian property.”
The mission noted that a Tomahawk missile attack on a primary school in Minab killed more than 150 people, and that another airstrike used missiles against “clearly identified sports facilities and residential areas”, killing 22 civilians.
The report said the school was the intended point of impact and that the resulting damage was not the result of an accidental bombing or collateral damage from attacks on Iranian Revolutionary Guards facilities adjacent to the school.
Experts said they found no information indicating the school was used for military purposes at the time.
A State Department official said the United States did not lend credibility to the report’s findings, adding that the United Nations Council was “promoting anti-American rhetoric and anti-Semitism” and “appeasing repressive regimes.”
CNBC has reached out to the Department of Defense for comment.
The Associated Press reported that the White House also rejected the report, with press secretary Anna Kelly saying, “The only party committing war crimes in this conflict is the Iranian regime.”
The fact-finding mission also accused Iran of human rights violations and “committing crimes against humanity.”
In February 2025, the U.S. government withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council through President Donald Trump’s executive order, claiming that some United Nations agencies and bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, were acting against the interests of the United States.
Separately, expectations are once again rising that negotiations over the Middle East conflict will resume. MS NOW reported that government officials said talks between Gulf Arab states, the United States and Iran could be held before or after next week’s United Nations General Assembly.
The report was released after the United States approved the travel of an Iranian delegation to attend the United Nations General Assembly. A State Department spokesperson said the delegation will be subject to travel restrictions and will be prohibited from purchasing luxury items.
The Associated Press reported that Tehran’s delegation is expected to include President Massoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
—CNBC’s Sam Meredith contributed to this report.
