Day 405

Iran war begins; civilian harm teams already cut

When US military operations against Iran begin on February 28, 2026, civilian harm mitigation staffing has already been cut by about 90%.

From: Pentagon IG: Hegseth Dismantled Civilian Harm Safeguards During Active War (May 2026)

US-Israeli war on Iran begins

President Trump orders Operation Epic Fury, launching nearly 900 airstrikes against Iran in the first 12 hours. The war begins without congressional authorization.

From: U.S. Strike Destroys Iran's B1 Bridge, Killing Civilians on Nowruz Holiday

2026 Iran war begins

The United States and Israel launch coordinated military strikes against Iran. Bushehr nuclear power plant is in the conflict zone from the outset.

From: Repeated Strikes Near Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant

2026 Iran war begins

The United States and Israel launch coordinated military strikes against Iran. The war begins without self-defense justification, while negotiations were ongoing.

From: Defense Secretary Hegseth Declares 'No Quarter, No Mercy' for Iran

Operation Epic Fury launches strikes across Iran

US and Israeli forces launch nearly 900 airstrikes across Iran, targeting military sites, leadership, and infrastructure. The scale of bombardment in urban areas and near historic sites raises immediate concerns about collateral damage to cultural heritage.

From: Damage to Iranian UNESCO World Heritage Sites in US-Israeli Airstrikes

US-Israeli strikes on Iran trigger regional escalation

The United States and Israel launch Operation Epic Fury against Iran. Hezbollah launches retaliatory strikes on Israel, and Israel responds with a renewed large-scale military offensive across Lebanon.

From: 2026 Lebanon War — US Weapons Complicity in Mass Civilian Casualties and White Phosphorus Attacks

Trump Threats to Obliterate Iran's Civilian Power Infrastructure

President Trump threatened to 'obliterate' Iran's power plants during the 2026 Iran war, escalating to a promise to destroy 'every bridge' and 'every power plant' in the country. With the ceasefire set to expire April 23, Trump renewed the same threat on April 20 and said 'I expect to be bombing.' Amnesty International called the threats 'apocalyptic' and stated they constitute threats to commit war crimes.

Iran War: Crime of Aggression — War Launched Without Congressional Authorization

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury — nearly 900 airstrikes in 12 hours against Iran — killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of officials, as well as at least 156 people, most of them children, at a primary school in Minab. The war was launched without congressional authorization, without a declaration of war, and, in the view of leading international lawyers and UN experts, without meeting the self-defense threshold under international law. The US House narrowly rejected a war powers resolution (219-212) to halt the conflict. By April 29, 2026 — 60 days after the war began — the War Powers Resolution's automatic termination provision had been triggered with no congressional response. As of May 20, 2026, 81 days into the conflict, no AUMF has been passed.

Attacks on Iranian Healthcare Facilities: WHO Verifies 18 Strikes on Hospitals and Medical Infrastructure

Since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, 2026, the WHO had verified 18 attacks on healthcare facilities through mid-March 2026, with at least 8 medical workers killed, 55 wounded, 6 hospitals evacuated, and 29 clinical facilities damaged. The conflict continued through the April 7 ceasefire and a near-resumption in May 2026, with additional healthcare facilities struck throughout the period. WHO's count includes incidental damage and makes no attribution; responsibility for specific incidents (US or Israeli) and whether any facility was deliberately targeted have not been established.

Lamerd Sports Hall Strike: US Airburst Missiles Hit a Sports Centre, School and Homes in Southern Iran, Killing At Least 21 (February 2026)

On the first day of the US–Israeli war on Iran, 28 February 2026, airburst missiles exploded over the Shahid Naimi sports centre in Lamerd, Fars Province, and over an adjacent residential neighbourhood and elementary school. Airwars counts at least 21 civilians killed, including at least seven children; a local official put the toll at 22. The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran found reasonable grounds to believe the US carried out the strike with Precision Strike Missiles, a weapon only the US possesses among the parties, and that the strike amounts to the war crime of launching an indiscriminate attack, a finding made under customary law on a recklessness standard. US Central Command denied responsibility and attributed the damage to an Iranian missile.

Minab School Strike: US Tomahawk Cruise Missile Kills At Least 156 at a Primary School

On February 28, 2026, a US Tomahawk cruise missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school for girls and boys aged 6 to 13 in Minab, Iran, killing at least 156 people (Minab prosecutor) to 157 (independent count cited by the UN fact-finding mission), including 120 to 123 children and 26 women educators. The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran found reasonable grounds to believe the US carried out the strike and that it amounts to the war crime of making a civilian object the object of an attack.

Iran war begins; Minab school struck

A Tomahawk cruise missile struck Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school in Minab, killing 175+ schoolchildren -- in a conflict where the CHMR program had been dismantled.

From: Dismantlement of Pentagon Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Program

UN human rights experts condemn fuel blockade

UN human rights experts formally condemn the executive order, warning that measures causing shortages of essential goods may amount to the collective punishment of civilians.

From: Intensified Cuba Sanctions Regime: Blackouts, Hospital Shutdowns, and Collective Punishment