Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has instructed the country’s judiciary to initiate legal proceedings in both domestic and international courts against American and Israeli officials for what he described as war crimes committed during the 2025 and 2026 conflicts. In a message marking Iran’s National Judiciary Week, Khamenei listed specific incidents, including the killing of schoolchildren in Minab and Lamerd, attacks on medical centres, and the death of his predecessor, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as cases that must be pursued. He argued that public statements by US and Israeli leaders acknowledging or boasting about military operations amount to admissions of criminal conduct, which he said would strengthen Iran’s legal position.

From Tehran, the directive frames the legal campaign as a core responsibility of the judiciary, which Khamenei described as the guardian of public rights and legitimate freedoms. President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a separate message for the same occasion, emphasised the judiciary’s role in delivering impartial justice and restoring public trust, though he did not directly address the international legal push. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, announced that Iran would retain sole control over the Strait of Hormuz for the next 30 days, warning that any unilateral intervention by another country would worsen tensions and delay the reopening of the strategic waterway. The Revolutionary Guards also claimed to have destroyed eight US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for a second wave of American strikes.

Viewed from Washington, the legal threats add a diplomatic layer to an already volatile military standoff. US President Donald Trump had earlier warned that the United States would “wipe out” Iran if ceasefire violations continued, and CENTCOM confirmed additional strikes on Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar installations. No official American or Israeli response to Khamenei’s call for legal action has been recorded, but analysts in Western capitals note that neither country is a party to the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute, limiting the immediate practical impact of any international filing. The US has historically rejected the court’s jurisdiction over its nationals.

The most prominent case cited by Khamenei is the 28 February 2026 strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, which Iranian authorities say killed 156 civilians, including 120 schoolchildren and 26 teachers. The attack occurred on the first day of what Tehran calls the third imposed war, a US-Israeli military campaign that followed a 12-day conflict in June 2025. Khamenei’s message also invoked the martyrdom of the former Supreme Leader, calling him “the unparalleled personality of our era,” and said the legal files should cover all physical, psychological, and material damage inflicted on the Iranian nation.

The judiciary has been ordered to extend an earlier directive by the late leader to investigate crimes from the 2025 war to the latest conflict, and to pursue cases continuously until judgments are issued. No timeline has been set for filing, but the order is expected to be implemented immediately. The legal initiative coincides with Iran’s assertion of control over the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil shipments, and comes amid a fragile ceasefire. Regional analysts view the move as an effort to shift the narrative from military setbacks to a legal and victimhood frame, while keeping international pressure on Washington and Tel Aviv. The US and Israel have yet to comment on the legal threat.