UN Probe Says Iran War Violates UN Charter

An independent United Nations investigation into rights violations in Iran has condemned the recent military actions by Israel and the United States, as well as Iran’s retaliatory strikes, saying they breach the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force against a state’s territorial integrity or political independence.

In a statement on Wednesday, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said the attacks and subsequent retaliation “run counter to the UN Charter,” raising alarm over the escalating conflict.

The mission also expressed deep shock over a strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, on Saturday — the first day of the US-Israeli campaign. It said most of the victims appeared to be schoolgirls aged between seven and 12.

Earlier the same day, a separate panel of UN experts reported that more than 160 children had been killed, citing various sources.

The fact-finding body warned that civilians in Iran are now trapped between an intensifying military campaign that could last weeks and a government with a long record of human rights violations.

It noted that tens of thousands of people were detained following a sweeping crackdown on protests that began on 28 December 2025 amid an economic crisis. Many detainees, it said, risk torture and even the death penalty.

The mission also cautioned that prisoners held in facilities such as Evin Prison could face additional danger if strikes continue. A British couple detained there recently described explosions shaking the prison and damage to their wing as fighting intensified.

The statement further said the killing of dozens of Iranian officials — including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — in the airstrikes could not be considered a legitimate means of delivering justice under international law.