ISLAMABAD: An investigation by Amnesty International into an airstrike on an Iranian school – which claimed the lives of about 168 people, mostly children – has blamed the US for the deliberate, deadly attack and urged the authorities to ensure a transparent and thorough investigation to ensure accountability.
In an in-depth report, the rights watchdog revealed that the US violated international humanitarian law by failing to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm and sought accountability for the perpetrators.
It said the school building was directly struck, alongside 12 other structures in an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) compound, with guided weapons, adding that this showed that US forces did not take precautions to avoid civilian harm.
“The fact that the school building was directly targeted and was previously part of the IRGC compound raises concerns that US forces may have relied on outdated intelligence and failed in their obligation to do everything feasible to verify that the intended target was a military objective,” the report noted.
Watchdog demands thorough, transparent probe; suspects reliance on outdated intelligence
It said the apparent reliance on outdated intelligence, which failed to reflect that Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School building had been separated from the rest of the compound since at least 2016, would constitute a serious violation of the principle of precaution, particularly the obligation to do everything feasible to verify that an intended target was a military objective.
Amnesty’s analysis of audio-visual evidence of missile strikes on the adjacent IRGC compound and of missile remnants published by state media in Iran indicated that a US-manufactured Tomahawk missile was likely used for the attack. Tomahawk missiles are used exclusively by US forces in this conflict and are precision-guided missiles.
It demanded that the investigation announced by the US into the strike must consider intelligence gathering and assessments, targeting decisions and precautions taken, as well as how artificial intelligence may have been employed in each of these steps, to evaluate how targeting decisions were made.
Similarly, parties to the conflict must ensure that meaningful human control was maintained when using artificial intelligence during the planning and execution of attacks, it said, while pointing out statements by US officials regarding the use of AI in their operations against Iran.
The results of the investigation should be made public, it said, adding that authorities should prosecute any person suspected of criminal responsibility.
According to Amnesty International, Iranian authorities also exploited the suffering of victims’ families and surviving children for propaganda purposes in the aftermath of the attack.
They must also restore internet access to ensure that the 92 million people in Iran have access to life-saving information and are able to contact their loved ones, Amnesty’s Erika Guevara-Rosas said.
