UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the UN commission of inquiry has determined there are reasonable grounds to believe US forces were responsible for the February 28 strike on a school in Minab, Iran, which killed over 150 people, including about 120 students. Guterres added that experts reached a similar conclusion regarding a strike on a sports center in Lamerd.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday reiterated the findings of the UN commission of inquiry, stating that there are reasonable grounds to believe US forces were responsible for the February 28 airstrike on a school in Minab, southern Iran, which killed over 150 people, including some 120 students. Guterres also said the commission reached a similar conclusion regarding a strike on a sports center in Lamerd. His remarks, quoted by The Zioneer, came hours after the commission's formal report was released.
The UN Commission of Inquiry released its report earlier today at 11:17 Jerusalem, as The Zioneer reported, finding reasonable grounds that the United States committed war crimes in the Minab and Lamerd strikes. The Zioneer published a detailed analysis of the findings at 16:51 Jerusalem. The report marks a significant legal escalation in the international community's scrutiny of the direct military conflict between Washington and Tehran.
The Minab school strike has been the subject of months of controversy. As The Zioneer reported in June, Iran's UN ambassador alleged that 47 children were killed in the strike and called for prosecution. In July, President Trump acknowledged the possibility that the strike was based on outdated intelligence or a mistake, while also questioning the authenticity of evidence presented by Tehran. A Bloomberg investigation earlier this year suggested the school was struck due to an intelligence database error, having been misidentified as an IRGC naval base.
The UN commission's determination of "reasonable grounds" is not a definitive judicial ruling, and the United States is expected to contest the findings. The commission also found that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during the suppression of anti-regime protests in January, as The Zioneer reported, adding further dimensions to the international legal landscape.
2 developments
- DevelopingIran's UN ambassador demands prosecution over Minab school strike, cites 47 children killed
- StrongPentagon blames flawed intel and AI for strike that killed at least 123 children in Iran
- StrongTrump acknowledges US strike on Minab school may have been based on old intelligence or mistake
- StrongIran dubs Zurich delegation 'Minab 168' after school strike in southeastern city
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