Ask Onix
Updated March 27, 2026 - The United Nations has intensified pressure on the United States to release results of its probe into a fatal missile attack on an Iranian primary school last month.
UN chief condemns attack as horrific
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, described the bombing of Shajareh Tayyebeh school as evoking "visceral horror" during an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council. The strike, which killed at least 168 people-including approximately 110 children-occurred on the first day of the conflict, according to Iranian authorities.
Türk emphasized that justice must be served for the "terrible harm" inflicted. "The images of bombed-out classrooms and grieving parents made it clear who bears the heaviest burden of war: civilians with no influence over the decisions that led to it," he stated.
US probe under scrutiny
US media reports indicate military investigators suspect American forces may have unintentionally struck the school. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has acknowledged an ongoing inquiry but provided no further details.
If confirmed, the incident would rank among the deadliest single cases of civilian casualties involving US forces in the Middle East in decades. Türk urged the US to complete its investigation "promptly, impartially, transparently, and thoroughly" and to make its findings public.
Iran accuses US of deliberate attack
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed the UN council via video, calling the bombing a "deliberate and intentional" act by the US. "This atrocity cannot be justified, concealed, or ignored," he declared.
Senate Democrats demand answers
Nearly all Democratic senators sent a letter to Hegseth earlier this month, pressing for clarity on the strike. The letter questioned whether outdated or flawed intelligence led to the school being targeted and raised concerns about compliance with war crime prevention protocols.
The Pentagon confirmed it would respond directly to the senators, as is standard for congressional inquiries.
Evidence points to US involvement
The New York Times, citing sources briefed on the investigation, reported that US Central Command (Centcom) officers generated the strike coordinates using outdated data from the Defense Intelligence Agency. The intended target was an adjacent base operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which previously occupied the school building.
However, Reuters noted that satellite imagery from 2015 showed the school was separated from the IRGC base by walls and had functioned as an educational facility since at least 2018, when murals were painted on its exterior.
Video analysis by experts identified the weapon used as a Tomahawk cruise missile-a type neither Israel nor Iran possesses. Footage verified by BBC Verify and published by Iran's Mehr news agency captured the missile moments before impact, further implicating US forces.
UN launches independent investigation
A UN fact-finding mission began its own probe into the strike on March 17, seeking to establish accountability for the attack.
