Key facts
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure as unacceptable.
- Iran accused the United States of targeting bridges and transport hubs.
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned escalating attacks on energy facilities and populated areas.
- Turk warned of severe humanitarian, economic, and environmental consequences from attacks on energy infrastructure.
- US and Israeli strikes have damaged numerous civilian sites in Iran, including housing, medical facilities, and schools.
- Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Iranian strikes/Hezbollah rocket fire into Israel have caused civilian casualties and damage.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure as "unacceptable," following accusations by Iran that the United States targeted bridges and transport hubs. His spokesman, Farhan Haq, stated Guterres' deep concern over the continuing military escalation between Iran and the United States.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, also condemned escalating attacks on major oil and gas facilities alongside strikes on densely populated areas, warning that the widening regional conflict is exacting a growing toll on civilians. Turk noted that nearly three weeks after US-Israel strikes on Iran began, the conflict has spread, disproportionately impacting civilians across the Middle East.
Turk highlighted that targeting critical energy infrastructure, such as South Pars in Iran and Ras Laffan in Qatar, marks a dangerous escalation with potentially disastrous humanitarian, economic, and environmental consequences. He warned that hostilities are increasingly shifting toward densely populated areas and vital infrastructure, with the human cost being alarming and waged without regard for long-term consequences.
US and Israeli strikes have reportedly killed people across Iran and damaged a wide range of civilian sites, including housing complexes, medical facilities, schools, shops, courthouses, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and energy installations. The Iranian Red Crescent reported 67,414 civilian sites struck, including 498 schools and 236 health facilities. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have caused significant civilian casualties, widespread infrastructure damage, and displaced over 1 million people. Iranian strikes and Hezbollah rocket fire into Israel have also hit residential areas.
Turk condemned attacks targeting civilian objects and infrastructure indispensable to the civilian population, stating such actions may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes. He also condemned Iranian strikes across the wider region, including in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, which have kept populations on edge. Furthermore, Turk condemned the deteriorating situation inside Iran, citing reports of repression, arrests, and internet shutdowns, and noted that civic space has been restricted across the region.