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Last Updated on September 21, 2026.

Washington – Following a United Nations report expressing there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that United States strikes on a girls’ school and a sports hall in Iran amounted to war crimes, Win Without War Deputy Director Shayna Lewis released the following statement:

“Troubling evidence of war crimes and disregard for human life by the Trump administration cannot be ignored. The latest findings from a UN fact-finding mission on Iran must put to rest the administration’s effort to dismiss the mass killings at the Minab girls’ school and Lamerd sports hall as  tragic mistakes of war. 

“UN investigators believe the U.S. government launched an indiscriminate attack amounting to a war crime — and that the Pentagon’s failure to verify a clearly civilian site went beyond negligence. A months-old internal Pentagon investigation also reportedly points to a cascade of preventable failures that have resulted in unnecessary death and suffering.

“Meanwhile, the U.S. military has continued to periodically carry out strikes across Iran, including one that hit a wedding and killed innocent people as recently as September 1. 

“‘Mistakes happen’ is no excuse for hiding evidence or undertaking disastrous cuts to the Pentagon’s civilian protection initiative. These failures have not only devastated Iranian lives, they also expose U.S. servicemembers to profound moral injury and legal risk. 

“The Trump administration must immediately release the Pentagon’s investigation. Congress must continue demanding the full findings, investigate Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s role in these failures, and pursue meaningful accountability for any violations of U.S. or international law. The answer to mounting evidence of preventable civilian deaths and potential war crimes cannot be more money, more strikes, and more secrecy. This war must end.”

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Win Without War is a diverse network of activists and national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in the United States.

September 21, 2026