TEHRAN — The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran has held the United States responsible for a deadly airstrike on a wedding celebration in Kuhestak, Hormozgan Province, warning that repeated attacks causing civilian casualties raise serious questions about Washington’s compliance with international humanitarian law.

The Mission said a US airstrike on September 1 struck a residential house in Kuhestak, where a wedding celebration was reportedly taking place. According to credible reports and information obtained by the Mission, five people, including two children and a woman, were killed, while dozens of others were injured.

The Mission called on all parties to the ongoing regional conflict to strictly comply with international law and immediately cease hostilities, stressing that civilians and civilian objects must be protected at all times.

“These strikes are yet another devastating reminder of the human cost of the conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran,” said Sara Hossain, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. “Civilians must be protected at all times, and constant care must be taken to spare civilians and civilian objects from the effects of hostilities.”

UN mission raises questions over US compliance with international law

The Mission’s statement comes despite repeated US assertions that its military operations were not directed at civilians. It said the circumstances surrounding the Kuhestak strike warranted scrutiny under international humanitarian law, particularly the obligations to distinguish between military targets and civilians and to take all feasible precautions to prevent civilian casualties.

“Repeated airstrikes causing civilian casualties raise serious questions about whether all necessary measures are being taken to comply with States’ obligations under international law, including to take all precautionary measures to avoid civilian deaths,” said Max du Plessis, an expert member of the Mission.

The Mission stressed that all parties to the conflict are bound by the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution. It warned that failure to meet these obligations may entail international responsibility, including potential responsibility for war crimes.

The UN body also referred to another deadly US strike in Hormozgan Province. On July 30, a reported US airstrike destroyed a residential home in Qeshm, killing a man, a woman and their two-year-old son, while injuring their two other children, according to the Mission.

Viviana Krsticevic, another expert member of the Mission, said attacks affecting civilians should prompt comprehensive investigations into the circumstances, methods and consequences of the strikes.

“Strikes on civilians should trigger an in-depth review of the events, methods, and impacts to prevent further losses, and secure truth, justice and reparations for victims,” Krsticevic said.

It reiterated its call on UN member states to take immediate diplomatic steps to halt the military conflict, reduce tensions and revive a credible, good-faith dialogue focused on peace, human rights, and justice.

The Mission’s intervention comes as civilian casualties and damage to residential areas have become a major point of international concern amid the continuing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. By publicly identifying the United States in connection with the Kuhestak strike and calling for an investigation into attacks that caused civilian deaths, the UN body has placed renewed emphasis on the obligations of states conducting military operations to protect civilians under international humanitarian law.