Iran’s human rights chief spoke to the media on Wednesday, and Naser Seraj said a gross violation of conventions occurred during the 40-day war. The U.S. and Israel committed war crimes against Iranian civilians, for their attacks targeted hospitals, children, and schools. Therefore, this act demands immediate international accountability.
Seraj detailed human rights violations from the February 28 aggression, and the war continued until a ceasefire in mid-April. He called the assassination of Iran’s highest religious authority a premeditated act, for that constitutes willful killing of civilians, he said. Consequently, a gross violation of conventions includes targeting political leaders.
US-Israeli airstrikes assassinated senior Iranian officials, and these included the Leader of the Islamic Revolution. Iran’s armed forces responded with daily missile operations, yet they targeted Israeli-occupied territories and U.S. bases. Thus, Iran acted defensively throughout the entire conflict.
Seraj condemned the deliberate bombing of Shajareh Tayyebeh School, and that school in Minab was filled with innocent students. The attack violated distinction principles under international law, so no military necessity can justify killing children, he argued. As a result, this atrocity turned a school into a battlefield.
International bodies have remained silent about this war crime, but Seraj said Western claimants use children’s rights politically. They pressure Iran rather than uphold fundamental values, for instance, if the school bombing is not a violation, he said. Then children’s rights have become completely meaningless.
Attacks on hospitals also constitute war crimes, for Tehran’s Children’s Hospital and Khatam al-Anbiya Hospital suffered damage. These actions violate the Geneva Conventions, yet the West focuses on alleged medical access for prisoners. This contradiction clearly demonstrates double standards in practice.
Hospital destruction deprives all citizens of medical care, and this includes any potential prisoners needing attention. Western human rights bodies focus on death sentences in Iran, however, they ignore systematic civilian killings. Hence, a gross violation of conventions reveals blatant discrimination.
The UN Security Council failed to pass a ceasefire resolution, for one permanent member used its veto power repeatedly. This reveals a fatal structural flaw in the UN system, so Western political support allows violators to escape justice. Thus, a gross violation of conventions continues without any accountability.
Iran’s top rights official called for immediate international action, and he urged the UN to investigate these war crimes. Victims’ families deserve justice and accountability, yet the coming months may see legal action at international courts.