UN rights chief Volker Türk calls for accountability over suspected US strike on Iran school
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The United Nations Human Rights Council convened an urgent session on Friday, March 27, addressing a deadly strike on an elementary school in Iran, as calls for accountability intensified.
The incident, which occurred on February 28 in Minab, has drawn international concern over civilian casualties.
Iranian officials have accused the United States of carrying out a deliberate attack, while preliminary US assessments suggest the strike may have been unintentional.
UN Calls for justice as Iran alleges “calculated” attack
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, described the strike as a deliberate act during a video address to the council, stating that “more than 175 students and teachers were slaughtered in cold blood” in a “calculated, phased assault.”
He further said the strike “was a war crime and a crime against humanity, one that demands unequivocal condemnation by all, and unambiguous accountability for the culprits.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said the incident evoked “visceral horror.”
He emphasized the need for a credible investigation, stating there must be “justice” and calling for “those who carried out the attack to investigate it promptly, impartially, transparently and thoroughly.” Türk added that “the images of bombed-out classrooms and grieving parents showed clearly who pays the highest price for war: civilians with no power in the decisions that led to conflict.”
He also noted that “Senior US officials have said the strike is under investigation,” urging that the process be concluded quickly and its findings made public. “There must be justice for the terrible harm done,” he said.
Preliminary findings cited by US officials suggest the United States is “likely” responsible for the strike but may not have intentionally targeted the school.
Reports indicate outdated intelligence may have misidentified the site as part of an Iranian military installation. A separate report also suggested the strike may have been linked to incorrect information regarding a nearby naval base.
Earlier, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said the incident would be “thoroughly” investigated, adding that the US had “attempted in every way possible to avoid civilian casualties.” Türk also criticized the broader use of force, saying: “Resort to the use of force, at a time when negotiations were ongoing, is a strategic failure that has had a devastating impact on civilians.”
Trump says he was unaware of reports linking US to strike
President Trump said on Wednesday, March 11, that he was unaware of reports suggesting the United States may have been responsible for the deadly missile strike.
His remarks came after multiple media outlets reported that a preliminary US military investigation had found American forces were likely behind the bombing.
The incident, which took place in southern Iran, reportedly killed at least 175 people, the majority of them children, and has prompted questions from lawmakers regarding military targeting procedures during the early stages of the US campaign in the region.
Earlier, he had suggested that Iran itself could have been responsible for the strike, despite reports that it involved Tomahawk missiles, capabilities not associated with Iran’s arsenal.
