'Realities of war': UK minister refuses to call US massacre at Iranian school a war crime
A British minister has refused to declare the school massacre in Iran, which killed 165 people, many of them children, a war crime, labelling it the "realities of war".
On 28 February, the day the US and Israel launched their attack on Iran, a double-tap strike targeted the Shajareh Tayyebeh School, a girls' primary school in the city of Minab.
US investigators probing the attack said last week they believe the US military was likely responsible for the attack.
And newly released footage this week suggests a US Tomahawk missile hit the school.
In an interview with Sky News on Tuesday morning, Courts Minister Sarah Sackman was asked for her "reflections on the evidence that has come to light".
She replied: "You watch footage like that and what you see is the realities of war, and in particular the way that civilians right across the region, not just in Iran but the wider region, are caught up in military conflict."
'I'm not going to speculate on whether this is a war crime, but what it is is a war, and in that context devastating things can happen'
- Sarah Sackman, UK minister
Sackman added: "And it's pretty devastating. You think of a school, my own children are at primary school. You know, this is the realities of war."
She then specifically criticised Iran, saying: "And those who target civilians, in particular the Iranian regime, that kind of action is appalling.
"And I think it's right we hear the American administration saying that it's going to investigate what's happened there."
Asked whether "strikes on schools in this way" could be war crimes, Sackman refused to give a judgement, saying "any view on that needs to be backed up by evidence.
"I'm not going to speculate on whether this is a war crime, but what it is is a war, and in that context devastating things can happen.
"And the way in which one treats civilians, that is vital. And I call on all parties in this conflict to abide by international law and the laws of war."
'Can't condemn bombing schoolchildren'
Sackman's comments have drawn strong criticism online. Baroness Meral Hussein-Ece, a Liberal Democrat peer, said that the US and Israel were "in clear violation of international law".
She added that Sackman "can't bring herself to condemn bombing schoolchildren, only to condemn Iran. Not good enough."
Journalist and commentator Mehdi Hasan said: "The US bombed a school, the US and Israel are killing 100s of civilians in Iran right now, the US and Israel are in clear violation of international law, but UK minister Sackman can't bring herself to condemn any of that, only to condemn Iran. How convenient."
Sackman's comments come as the US is using British military bases for bombers en route to targeting Iranian missile sites.
Over the past few days, numerous US B-1 Lancer bombers have taken off from the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford base in Gloucestershire in southern England to carry out strikes on Iran.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resisted calls from opposition politicians for the RAF to join in with strikes on Iran but has not condemned the US-Israeli attack.
Relations are also strained with the US over Britain’s initial refusal to allow the US to use the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to launch strikes on Iran.
Starmer held a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Sunday to discuss "the latest situation in the Middle East and the military cooperation between the UK and US through the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defence of partners in the region", according to Downing Street.
Trump had repeatedly attacked Starmer, calling him "unhelpful" and "no Winston Churchill", and accusing the prime minister of seeking to "join wars after we've already won".
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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