Minab school attack: Human Rights Watch calls for war-crime investigation
Human Rights Watch identified the February 28 school attack as unlawful and called for investigation as a war crime. Its March 27 statement addressed the United States' apparent failure to take feasible precautions.
Entities and roles
- Donald J. TrumpPresident authorizing the US Iran campaign
Claims and evidence
- allegationalleged
Human Rights Watch's March 7 investigation called the February 28 attack on Minab's Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School unlawful and said it should be investigated as a war crime. Researcher Sophia Jones called for examining whether those responsible should have known the school was occupied. The report had not conclusively attributed the strike to the United States or Israel.
- Human Rights Watch: US/Israel: Investigate Iran School Attack as a War CrimeOpening findings, attribution limits and Sophia Jones statement
- factdocumented
The White House identified Trump as authorizing Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The connection is to the campaign, not evidence that he personally selected the school as a target.
- The White House: Peace Through Strength: President Trump Launches Operation Epic FuryOpening account of President Trump's authorization
- allegationalleged
In a March 27 statement to the Human Rights Council, Human Rights Watch called for the United States to investigate the Minab attack as a war crime and said it appeared not to have fulfilled its obligation to take all feasible precautions. This was the NGO's assessment, not a UN adjudication.
- Human Rights Watch: Middle East Conflict: Attacks on Civilians and Harms to Children Must EndMinab school paragraph and feasible precautions paragraph
Measurements
Minab incident assessed by Human Rights Watch1 incident - Basis
- Observed
- Population
- February 28, 2026 Minab primary-school attack
- Period
- 2026-02-28 to 2026-02-28
- As of
- 2026-03-27
- Method
- Count the school attack once, supported by the March 7 investigation and March 27 NGO legal statement. The concern is unlawful attack and apparent failure to take feasible precautions. Multiple assessments of this incident do not increase the count.
- Uncertainty
- March 7 research did not conclusively identify the attacking state. March 27 HRW statement addresses apparent US precaution failures. This is an attributed assessment, not a court finding or proof of Trump's personal target selection.