Key facts
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned that US-Iran hostilities pose grave risks to human rights and civilians.
- Turk urged restraint from both the US and Iran to prevent further escalation.
- The potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz could disrupt the flow of essential goods like food and medicine.
- Overnight US strikes on Iran resulted in three reported deaths.
- Two tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz, and another tanker was attacked off Oman.
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, stated that the resumption of hostilities between the United States and Iran is a significant setback for civilians in the region and beyond, warning of grave risks to human rights. He urged both parties to exercise restraint to prevent further escalation.
Turk raised alarm about the potential human rights impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital lifeline on which millions are reliant. He noted that disruptions to the flow of food, medicines, and other necessary commodities have severe socio-economic and humanitarian consequences, both regionally and globally.
In the latest overnight strikes, the United States attacked Iranian targets in a battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran said it had closed. This marks the third successive night of U.S. strikes on Iran. On Tuesday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said a U.S. air base in Jordan had been targeted with ballistic missiles.
Reports indicate that two tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz, and overnight US strikes on Iran resulted in three reported deaths. India summoned Iranian diplomats to protest attacks on ships carrying Indian sailors. A Dutch shipping firm reported a tanker attacked off Oman in the Arabian Sea, and explosions were reportedly heard in Iranian cities. Iran condemned a UK bill that labels the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a security threat, accusing Britain of violating international law. Iran also claimed to have rescued a bulk carrier crew following a collision near Qeshm Island.