UN Fact-Finding Mission Finds Iran Committed Crimes Against Humanity, US Committed War Crimes

International humanitarian law requires militaries and governments to distinguish between combatants and civilians—a condition a United Nations fact-finding mission says both the United States and Iran have systematically violated. In a report presented to the UN Human Rights Council on September 21, 2026, investigators concluded that Iranian civilians are caught between severe internal repression and indiscriminate external military strikes.[3][5]

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran detailed grave violations from two distinct fronts. Mission chair Sara Hossain told the council in Geneva that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their crackdown on nationwide protests, while U.S. forces likely committed war crimes during military operations in February 2026.[1][3]

The findings regarding Iran focus on the government's response to protests that erupted in December 2025. The mission described the state's actions as an unprecedented escalation in lethal force, resulting in killings across all 31 provinces, with the highest death tolls concentrated in Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad, Isfahan, and Rasht.[1][4]

Security forces reportedly positioned themselves on rooftops, firing assault rifles into crowds, and used tear gas to trap demonstrators in narrow alleys before shooting them. The mission documented that at least 221 children were killed during the unrest, with some victims as young as two years old.[1][3]

While the Iranian government officially reported 3,038 deaths and 25,000 injuries, the UN mission indicated the actual toll is likely much higher. The crackdown was accompanied by a five-month nationwide internet blackout, which severely restricted access to information and emergency medical coordination.[1][3]

Following the protests, the Iranian judiciary expedited trials that led to the execution of at least 29 men between March and August 2026, including five public executions. The mission concluded that these actions—encompassing murder, torture, and arbitrary detention—constituted a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population.[1][4]

The report also scrutinized the conduct of the United States during the conflict that escalated in late February 2026. Investigators found reasonable grounds to believe that the U.S. military committed war crimes by launching indiscriminate attacks that resulted in mass civilian casualties.[2][5]

The mission highlighted a February 28 strike involving U.S. Tomahawk missiles that hit the Tree of Tayyiba Elementary School in Minab. The attack killed more than 150 people, including approximately 120 children.[4][5]

According to the report, the U.S. failed to update its targeting databases to reflect that the school had been separated from an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps complex since 2016. The mission stated, "Rather, the U.S. directed the strikes at the building of the school while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object and acting recklessly as regards the possibility that this would happen."[5]

A separate U.S. strike in Lamerd allegedly dispersed tungsten pellets over a sports complex and residential area, killing 22 civilians. While the U.S. has denied carrying out a strike in the vicinity of Lamerd on that date, the UN mission maintained that the attack caused indiscriminate civilian harm.[3][5]

The dual findings present a stark picture of a civilian population facing threats from both domestic authorities and foreign adversaries. The mission urged both nations to cease violations, provide reparations to victims, and called for third-state accountability through universal jurisdiction.[1][2]