The United Nations Association of Iran (UNA-IRAN) expresses its grave concern over the escalation of hostilities and the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country, and unequivocally condemns recent attacks against critical infrastructure and civilian objects.
According to official reports by international bodies, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the humanitarian situation in Iran has deteriorated to an extremely alarming level, with the continuation of hostilities resulting in widespread, severe, and long-term consequences for the civilian population. These reports document extensive attacks against airports, hospitals, residential areas, markets, schools, industrial facilities, and cultural heritage sites; including concrete instances such as the attack on Golestan Palace and Mehrabad civilian airports.
Available data indicate that since the onset of hostilities, more than 2,100 civilians have been killed, over 27,900 injured, more than 3.8 million individuals directly affected, and over 115,000 civilian structures damaged.
There is also increasing evidence indicating the targeting of critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, bridges, industrial centers, as well as pharmaceutical and vaccine production facilities. Such actions have significantly disrupted the provision of essential services and have generated serious immediate and long-term environmental and public health risks. The targeting of facilities producing essential medicines, particularly those related to cancer and multiple sclerosis treatments, as well as vaccine production centers and academic and research institutions, has placed additional strain on the healthcare system and has severely undermined access to indispensable medical care.
The United Nations Association of Iran recalls that under international humanitarian law, including both customary and treaty-based norms, and in particular the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, attacks directed against civilian objects and infrastructure indispensable to the survival of the civilian population are strictly prohibited and may amount to serious violations of international law, including war crimes.
At a time when significant portions of the population are subjected to forced displacement, deprivation of essential services, and pervasive insecurity, and where reports indicate widespread displacement, the continuation of such conduct risks precipitating a large-scale humanitarian crisis with regional and international implications.
In this context, the United Nations Association of Iran calls upon the US and Israeli to immediately cease attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, to fully comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, to ensure rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access, and to guarantee effective accountability through competent international mechanisms for violations of international law, particularly those involving attacks against civilians and civilian objects.
The Association emphasizes that the protection of civilian lives and the preservation of human dignity must remain the paramount priority of belligerent or aggressor states. Continued attacks against infrastructure not only endanger millions of lives but also seriously undermine the foundations of development, public health, and long-term stability.
In conclusion, the Association calls upon the international community to act in a responsible manner consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and to take urgent and effective measures to halt hostilities, alleviate human suffering, and facilitate a return to dialogue, diplomacy, and sustainable peace.
