UN mission finds evidence signaling U.S. war crimes in Iran; Washington rejects report

A United Nations fact-finding mission said there was evidence to believe that the U.S. committed war crimes during the Iran war, lending credibility to Tehran’s similar claims.

There are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Washington’s forces “committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects,” the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said on Thursday.

The mission pointed out the Tomahawk missile strike on a primary school that killed more than 150 people in the city of Minab, and another airstrike where missiles were used against a “clearly identifiable sports complex and residential area,” killing 22 civilians.

The report said the school was the intended point of impact, and the resulting damage wasn’t the result of an errant strike or collateral damage from an attack on a compound of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard next to the school.

The experts said they found no information indicating that the school was used for military purposes at the time.

A State Department Official said the U.S. does not give credibility to the report’s findings, adding that the UN council “pushes anti-American rhetoric and antisemitism” and “appeases repressive regimes.”

CNBC has reached out to the Pentagon for comments.

The Associated Press reported that the White House has also pushed back on the report, with spokesperson Anna Kelly saying “The only party in this conflict that has committed war crimes is the Iranian regime.”

The fact-finding mission also charged Iran with human rights violations and “crimes against humanity committed.”

Washington had withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council via an executive order from President Donald Trump in February 2025, saying that some UN agencies and bodies, including the council, were acting contrary to the interests of the U.S.

Separately, hopes are rising again that negotiations around the Middle East conflict could restart. According to an MS NOW report, government officials have said that a meeting between Gulf Arab nations, the U.S. and Iran could take place around the time of the United Nations General Assembly next week.

The report comes as the U.S. approved the Iranian delegation’s travel to attend the United Nations General Assembly. A State Department spokesperson said that the delegation will be under travel restrictions, and will be prohibited from purchasing luxury or other goods.

The AP reported that Tehran’s delegation is expected to include President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

— CNBC’s Sam Meredith contributed to this report.