UN Investigation Condemns Military Actions Against Iran as Charter Violations

A United Nations investigation has criticized military strikes by Israel and the United States against Iran, calling them violations of international law. The UN expressed particular concern over an attack on a girls' school that reportedly killed over 160 children, most between ages 7-12.

GENEVA – A United Nations investigation into human rights violations in Iran has criticized military operations conducted by Israel and the United States against Iranian territory, as well as Iran’s subsequent counterattacks throughout the region, declaring all actions breach international law.

The U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran released a statement Wednesday denouncing the military exchanges, noting that the UN Charter prohibits using force against any nation’s territorial boundaries or sovereign independence.

“These attacks, which were followed by Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the region, run counter to the UN Charter,” the investigative mission stated.

The UN panel expressed particular alarm regarding a bombing that struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls school in Minab, located in southern Iran, during Saturday’s initial wave of U.S. and Israeli operations.

According to the investigation, the majority of casualties were female students between seven and twelve years old.

A separate UN expert committee reported Wednesday that more than 160 children died in the attack, based on preliminary findings.

The fact-finding mission warned that Iranian civilians now face danger from both an extended military offensive that could continue for weeks and their own government’s documented history of human rights violations.

Following a harsh government response to demonstrations that started December 28, 2025, over economic hardships, the UN investigation reported that tens of thousands of people have been arrested and now face potential torture and execution.

The panel raised concerns that protesters currently imprisoned could face additional dangers from ongoing U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. On Tuesday, a British couple detained in Iran reported explosions rocking Evin prison where they are held, with visible damage to their section as fighting escalates.

The UN statement criticized the deaths of numerous Iranian government officials – including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – during the airstrikes, saying such killings do not constitute legitimate justice under international legal standards.