Iran’s Red Crescent Society head Pir Hossein Kolivand met with the ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric Egger. Pir Hossein Kolivand presented a staggering civilian death toll from US-Israeli attacks. Mirjana Spoljaric Egger is visiting Tehran to assess the war damage. She met Kolivand at the Iranian Red Crescent’s Peace Building, so the meeting carried great urgency.
The Iranian Red Crescent chief described how the military aggression devastated Iran’s civilian population. Relentless airstrikes targeted residential buildings across the nation, and thousands of innocent people lost their lives. Children and the elderly suffered terribly in the bombings. This staggering civilian death toll includes victims from every age group, which has shocked humanitarian workers.
Kolivand reported at least 140,528 civilian sites with severe damage. The attacks completely destroyed many of these buildings, for some 123,647 residential units suffered damage. In Tehran alone, 14,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Thus, the figures represent an enormous humanitarian problem.
He also told Spoljaric that the international community must not stay silent. He said the ICRC showed courage during the Gaza genocide, yet the organization spoke out forcefully against those atrocities. Now it must stand with Iran’s Red Crescent Society, for the staggering civilian death toll demands the same moral clarity.
The Iranian Red Crescent chief recalled the Minab school massacre. This tragedy occurred on the very first day of the war, and U.S. Tomahawk missiles struck Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School. At least 175 people died in that single attack, but most of the victims were young schoolgirls.
Rescue efforts at that school broke his workers’ hearts, he said. Finding children as the primary victims was devastating, so relief workers faced unimaginable scenes of destruction. Their memory demands accountability from the international community, yet justice has been slow to come.
The Iranian Red Crescent documented every humanitarian law violation. Their International Affairs department collected evidence systematically, and they submitted all findings to international organizations. This documentation aims to ensure legal accountability for the aggressors, for the evidence is overwhelming.
His organization has conducted extensive follow-ups, Kolivand said. They worked through the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, and they also submitted evidence to the ICRC directly. The Iranian Red Crescent seeks justice for all victims, but the staggering civilian death toll has not yet led to action.
The ICRC president listened carefully to Kolivand’s presentation. She saw photographs of destroyed residential buildings firsthand, and the delegation visited areas affected by the airstrikes. Egger plans to meet other Iranian officials during her stay. Thus, the visit may lead to concrete steps.
Iran has faced 40 days of relentless US-Israeli attacks. The war began on February 28 without any provocation, but Iranian forces responded with 100 waves of counterstrikes. A fragile ceasefire took effect on April 8, yet the humanitarian problem continues.
The Red Crescent has rescued thousands of people from rubble. Their teams worked around the clock during the bombings, so many rescuers suffered psychological trauma. The organization needs more resources to continue its work, for the crisis overwhelms their current capacity.
International aid organizations have been slow to respond. Some countries have sent limited medical supplies, but the ICRC’s visit represents a potential turning point. Kolivand hopes for concrete commitments from the organization, because the situation grows more desperate each day.
The coming days will test the ICRC’s stated principles. The organization must decide whether to speak out loudly, and Iran expects the ICRC to break its relative silence. Kolivand made this expectation very clear during the meeting, for the victims deserve nothing less.