White House Rejects UN-Backed War Crimes Allegations Over Iran Strikes

A United Nations-backed fact-finding mission has concluded that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed war crimes during two February 2026 strikes in Iran. The allegations center on an attack on a primary school in Minab and another strike involving a sports complex and nearby residential areas in Lamerd. Investigators said the attacks killed at least 178 civilians, including children.

The report says investigators found the Minab school was a clearly identifiable civilian facility and concluded that U.S. forces failed to take adequate steps to verify their target. The mission described the attack as an indiscriminate attack that could constitute a war crime under international law.

The White House strongly rejected the findings. Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly dismissed the UN Human Rights Council’s record and argued that Iran, rather than the United States, is the party in the conflict that has committed war crimes. The State Department likewise said it did not consider the report credible.

There is also an important dispute over the second strike in Lamerd. U.S. Central Command has denied carrying out the attack, while UN investigators said their weapons analysis pointed toward a U.S.-made missile.

The UN mission’s report is investigative, not a court judgment, and it does not itself establish criminal liability. However, its findings could potentially be used as evidence in future legal proceedings. The same investigation also accused Iranian authorities of crimes against humanity, including killings, torture and arbitrary detention during the country’s crackdown on protests.

The findings are expected to receive further discussion at the UN Human Rights Council, while Washington continues to dispute the allegations.