UN Rights Chief Demands Swift U.S. Probe After Deadly Iran School Strike

The United Nations human rights chief has called on the United States to quickly complete its investigation into a deadly strike on a school in southern Iran that killed scores of children and teachers, urging transparency and accountability amid mounting international concern. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the appeal at an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying the February 28 attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab province “evoked visceral horror” and must be fully examined.

Iranian state media and preliminary reports from independent observers estimate that more than 150 civilians, many of them students, died when the school was hit during escalating regional hostilities. Initial independent analyses suggested that US forces may have been responsible, but Washington has yet to conclude its official probe or release the findings. Türk stressed that victims’ families and the global community deserve a prompt, transparent, and impartial investigation, noting that international humanitarian law demands accountability for attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Iran has denounced the strike as a war crime, with government officials condemning what they described as an indiscriminate assault on innocent children. Tehran has repeatedly urged the international community to take stronger action and ensure justice for those affected. At the Geneva session, several nations echoed outrage over the school attack and called for clear answers, even as some delegates also pointed to broader human rights concerns arising from the ongoing conflict.

The United States and its ally Israel did not participate in the Human Rights Council meeting, with Washington citing concerns about perceived bias in the forum. Despite their absence, countries including China, Pakistan and Britain voiced deep unease over the scale of civilian casualties and emphasized the need to uphold humanitarian principles amid intensifying tensions across the region.

As demand grows for a concluded probe and public disclosure of its results, the UN’s call underlines global unease about civilian harm in armed conflict and highlights the importance of accountability and transparency when tragic events like the Minab school strike occur.