US rights group urges Iran to grant ICC jurisdiction over apparent war crimes

“Iran has been loudly calling out these crimes, but their words ring hollow when officials fail to take action to preserve a pathway to justice,” Shakir said.

A United States of America-based human rights organisation has urged Iran to grant the International Criminal Court (ICC) jurisdiction to investigate alleged war crimes committed since the outbreak of hostilities on 28 February 2026.

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) called on Iranian authorities to file a declaration allowing the ICC to examine crimes committed on its territory during the ongoing conflict. The group also encouraged other affected states in the region to submit similar declarations to ensure a path toward accountability.

According to reports cited by DAWN, more than 1,230 Iranian civilians had been killed as of 5 March during what the organisation described as US-Israeli attacks, which it said included strikes on hospitals and schools across Iran. The group also noted that Iranian retaliatory attacks had reportedly killed and injured civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure elsewhere in the region.

DAWN said all states involved should cooperate with United Nations fact-finding and human rights mechanisms and take steps to secure and preserve evidence of potential war crimes.

“From the killing of over 150 students and teachers to strikes on hospitals full of newborns, every day more and more evidence emerges pointing to the commission of grave war crimes in Iran since the start of the war,” said DAWN Executive Director Omar Shakir. “Victims deserve justice. The mechanisms exist and the US has no veto over them.”

The organisation highlighted an attack on the Minab school, where most of the victims were reportedly schoolgirls aged between seven and twelve, as an incident requiring a full evidentiary record. It urged Iranian authorities to ensure evidence is collected, preserved, and shared with the UN Fact-Finding Mission and any future investigative bodies.

“Iran has been loudly calling out these crimes, but their words ring hollow when officials fail to take action to preserve a pathway to justice,” Shakir said. “The Iranian government should preserve the evidence, utilise every available mechanism to investigate possible war crimes, and pursue accountability through the International Criminal Court.”