UN experts say US committed war crimes in Iran strike

Photo — Safi Erneste / Pexels

According to human rights experts commissioned by the United Nations, an investigation has concluded there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed war crimes in Iran, focusing in particular on a strike that hit a school in the southern city of Minab.[12] This assessment, reported by NPR, implies that elements of recent US military action may have violated international humanitarian law, especially the rules requiring distinction between military and civilian targets and proportionality in the use of force.[12] The allegation arises at a moment of mounting friction between the US and Iran: Washington is simultaneously threatening sweeping secondary sanctions that could effectively shut down Iranian airlines worldwide from September 23, while Tehran accuses the US and its allies of broader abuses across the region.[9][12] A formal UN-backed finding of potential war crimes against a permanent member of the Security Council and leading global military power carries wide-ranging implications, from possible calls for further international investigations and accountability mechanisms to increased pressure on allied governments that support or cooperate with US operations. It is likely to become a central point of contention in upcoming multilateral forums and may intensify global debates over civilian protection, the legality of cross-border strikes, and the limits of US military power.[9][12]

Sources: NPR, Al Jazeera