UN Panel Cites Grounds for US War Crimes in Iran Strikes

Oil prices remain elevated and heating costs are projected to climb this winter as the United States continues military operations against Iran that began in February. A UN fact-finding mission has reported reasonable grounds to conclude that two American strikes on civilian sites killed at least 178 people and amounted to war crimes under international law.

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran examined strikes on 28 February. In Minab, Tomahawk missiles hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School, where Iranian officials reported more than 150 deaths including around 120 schoolchildren. The mission stated the school was a clearly identifiable civilian object next to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval complex and found no evidence it was used for military purposes. It concluded that US forces failed to update targeting information and proceeded despite a substantial risk to civilians. In Lamerd, a second strike damaged a sports complex and nearby residential buildings and a school, killing or injuring 22 civilians. US Central Command has stated it conducted no strikes in Lamerd that day.

The same mission separately determined that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during a crackdown on protests that began in late December. The panel documented unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention and restrictions on expression, and said the actual death toll likely exceeded the official figure of 3,038. Neither the United States nor Iran responded directly to the new report.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that Department of Defense costs from the start of the conflict through 1 August reached $38 billion. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association projects an 8.7 percent rise in average heating costs this winter, with heating oil users facing a 31.3 percent increase to an average of $2,297. The Energy Information Administration expects oil production and trade flows to remain below prewar levels until at least spring 2027.

President Trump has said no one purposefully attacked a girls' school and cited an internal investigation. The Pentagon has elevated that review but has not released preliminary findings. Leaked photographs published by CBS News show damage to US equipment and facilities in the region, which service members attributed to restrictions on public communication.