GENEVA (Dispatches) -- UN human rights experts have called for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the bombing of a primary school in Iran’s southern city of Minab that martyred 168 children and teachers, warning that the attack raises serious concerns over violations of international law during armed conflict.
In a statement, the experts said the school was struck twice during school hours on February 28, 2026, and that there was no information indicating the facility was being used for military purposes.
“The school was clearly identifiable as a civilian educational facility and they had received no information indicating it was being used for military purposes,” the experts said.
They said that five months after the attack, neither the United States nor Israel have made public the findings of any investigation into the strike, raising concerns about the transparency, effectiveness and impartiality of any inquiry.
“Five months following the school bombing in Minab, the US and Israel have not made any findings public, raising valid questions regarding the impartiality, effectiveness and transparency of any investigation that may be underway,” the experts said. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
The experts said the Minab school bombing represented a broader failure to adequately protect civilians, particularly women and children, during armed conflict. 
They stressed that describing civilian deaths as accidental does not remove states’ obligations under international humanitarian law or
 prevent possible individual criminal responsibility when violations occur.
“Victims and their families are entitled to truth, justice and effective reparations,” they said.
The statement followed earlier calls from UN officials for accountability and protection of children after the deadly strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab. 
UN human rights chief Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council that the bombing showed the devastating impact of war on civilians, noting that the reported victims included 168 pupils, teachers, school staff and their relatives. 
UNICEF also reported that 168 girls were killed when a strike hit the Minab girls’ elementary school while classes were in session.
The experts urged prompt investigations into civilian casualties and damage to protected civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and other sites protected under international law.
“International law prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State,” they said, describing the prohibition on the use of force as a cornerstone of the international legal order.
They also raised concerns over reports that Iranian civilians may have been exposed to internationally prohibited hazardous substances, with potentially serious consequences for women, girls and pregnant women.
The experts further expressed concern over renewed military action despite a memorandum of understanding intended to end hostilities. 
They called on the United States to comply with the principles of distinction and precaution under international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including population centers, desalination facilities and electricity networks.
They said accountability for civilian harm requires more than statements of regret, emphasizing that investigations must establish facts, provide justice for victims and prevent future violations.
The Minab school bombing has become one of the most widely cited civilian casualty incidents of the U.S.-Israeli terrorist war on Iran. 
International organizations have repeatedly stressed that schools and children are protected under humanitarian law and must remain safe spaces during armed conflicts.