Concerns are rising over civilian casualties, nuclear safety and the targeting of critical infrastructure, including hospitals and schools.
Addressing reporters in Vienna on Monday, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said there were “no indications” that Iran’s nuclear facilities had been damaged in the attacks.
He noted that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor and other nuclear fuel cycle sites appeared intact. At the same time, he warned that the widening conflict carries “increasing risk to nuclear safety” and called for a return to diplomacy.
At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Gulf States condemned Iranian retaliatory strikes involving ballistic missiles and drones, which have affected Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel. Representatives urged Tehran to halt what they described as “hostile escalation” threatening regional stability.
According to the UN World Health Organisation (WHO), missile strikes in Iran have so far killed an estimated 550 civilians. Tehran’s Gandhi Hospital was among the sites damaged on Sunday. “Health facilities are protected under international humanitarian law,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, calling for urgent measures to safeguard medical services.
The UAE told the Human Rights Council that Iranian strikes since 28 February had killed three civilians and injured 58. Kuwait similarly condemned Tehran’s actions, asserting its right to self‑defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Iran’s representative, Ali Bahreini, countered that the country had come under “indiscriminate and invasive” attack following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a strike on the Supreme Leader’s compound. He said more than 160 schoolgirls had been killed in Minab after a primary school was hit on Saturday, and accused the US and Israel of committing war crimes.
Iran has also warned states at the UN Conference on Disarmament that all US military bases and assets are now “legitimate targets” as long as hostilities continue.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
