Politics
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran found reasonable grounds to believe the US committed war crimes in two February 2026 strikes — one on a primary school in Minab and one on a sports hall in Lamerd where a women's volleyball team was practicing.
NewsOnScale Staff
September 17, 2026
A United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran released its report today finding reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed war crimes in February 2026 during the Iran conflict that began on February 28.
The findings are being submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The same report found that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.
Both governments have been asked to respond. Neither had responded at the time of publication.
What Happened on February 28 2026
The United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran beginning at approximately 10:00 AM Iran Standard Time on February 28 2026 — the same morning that Iranian families send their children to school as Saturday is a working day in Iran.
The Minab School Attack
A US airstrike struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab in southern Iran. The school had a vivid website and years-long documented online presence. UN experts found the school was a clearly identifiable civilian object. UN experts found no evidence the school was being used for military purposes at the time of the strike.
The US relied on intelligence suggesting a senior Iranian military commander was present at the site. According to the UN report the US failed to adequately verify that information before launching the strike. The report states the US directed the strike at the school building while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object.
The Lamerd Sports Hall Attack
Approximately the same time two US Precision Strike Missiles struck a sports hall in Lamerd, Fars Province, while a women's volleyball team was using the facility. The attack killed at least 21 people including 4 children and injured 100 more. Nearby residential buildings were also damaged.
US Central Command said in March that US forces did not launch any strikes into the city of Lamerd on that day. The UN investigation concluded otherwise.
What the UN Found
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission concluded that both strikes were indiscriminate attacks on civilian objects that caused civilian deaths and injuries.
The report states the attacks constituted war crimes under international law.
On the school strike the mission found the US failure to update targeting database information regarding the school and to confirm the building was a military objective before striking it amounted to more than mere negligence.
On the Lamerd sports hall the mission reached the same conclusion — a clearly identifiable civilian facility struck while civilians were actively using it.
What Trump Said
In June 2026 President Trump said that nobody purposefully attacked a girls school in Iran in February, citing an internal investigation. Reuters had already reported that the initial US military investigation showed US forces were likely responsible for the Minab strike. The Pentagon elevated the investigation but has not published any preliminary findings.
The Constitutional Context
The United States has been engaged in active military operations against Iran since February 28 2026. Congress has not declared war. Congress has not formally authorized the military operations. The House of Representatives has voted three times to direct the President to end the conflict or seek authorization — non-binding resolutions the administration has ignored.
American forces striking a primary school and a women's volleyball facility in an undeclared war that Congress has not authorized is the situation the Founders specifically tried to prevent when they gave Congress the exclusive power to declare war under Article I Section 8 of the Constitution.
The Constitution has not changed. The war crimes finding has been submitted to the UN Human Rights Council.
DISCLOSURE: NewsOnScale is an independent media publication operated by AMILLI AI CORP. JJ Johnson is the founder of AMILLI AI CORP and a declared candidate for President of the United States in 2028. All facts in this article are drawn from CBC News, Reuters, Dawn, Times Live, Wikipedia documentation of the 2026 Minab school attack and 2026 Lamerd sports hall attack, and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council September 17 2026.