U.N. Panel Questions U.S. Conduct in Iran as Oil Markets Stabilize

A United Nations commission of human rights experts stated Thursday that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed war crimes during two military strikes in Iran that killed at least 178 civilians. The findings mark a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the U.S.-led campaign, which has now lasted six and a half months.

The fact-finding mission, which investigates alleged violations in the region, cited airstrikes on February 28, including one targeting the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab, a southern Iranian city. According to Iranian state media, 168 people, predominantly children, died in that attack. The U.N. panel concluded the strikes were indiscriminate and caused excessive civilian casualties.

Another cited incident involved precision missiles dispersing tungsten pellets over a sports complex and residential area in Lamerd. In March, CBS News reported that preliminary U.S. assessments suggested the American military was “likely” responsible for the school bombing but did not intentionally target it, possibly due to outdated intelligence that misidentified the area as part of an Iranian military installation.

There was no immediate response from the White House or the Pentagon regarding the U.N. report. However, Central Command has previously dismissed similar accusations from Iran, maintaining that the U.S. military does not target civilians and accusing Iranian forces of regularly doing so.

Amid the geopolitical tension, global oil markets saw a shift. Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped to approximately $103.50 a barrel on Thursday, down from $108 earlier in the week. The decline followed comments by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who indicated that a Saudi crude pipeline damaged by drone strikes would be operational again “relatively soon.” The East-West pipeline serves as a critical alternative route for Saudi oil exports, bypassing the volatile Strait of Hormuz.

Wright noted that while pre-war transit through the Strait of Hormuz averaged about 18 million barrels daily, current flows have been reduced by the conflict. He reported that 18 million barrels of oil and products passed through the strait on Tuesday under U.S. military protection, with average daily throughput now standing at roughly 11 million barrels.

Meanwhile, President Trump asserted that Iran is eager to negotiate an end to the war. Speaking at a campaign event in North Carolina on Wednesday, Trump said, “Hopefully we’re toward the end of the war. They want to make a deal.” Despite these claims, negotiations between Washington and Tehran have remained stalled for months.

Trump’s Vice President, JD Vance, warned that a U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East would trigger a global energy crisis. “The alternative here… would mean necessarily a worldwide energy crisis, so long as the Iranians keep on shooting at shipping,” Vance said, defending the administration’s continued military presence.

The conflict has also intensified fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Houthi media reported that Saudi airstrikes on Thursday killed one person and damaged telecommunications infrastructure, marking the latest escalation since the group seized control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline.

Domestically, Republican leadership pointed to political opponents for high fuel costs. House Speaker Mike Johnson declared that the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon had been neutralized and shifted focus to lowering gas prices, which currently average $4.37 per gallon. Johnson attributed the inflation to Democratic policies on oil production rather than the war itself.