Over 1,300 Civilians Killed, Nearly 10,000 Sites Damaged in US-Israel Strikes on Iran: Tehran’s UN Envoy

United Nations — More than 1,300 civilians have been killed and close to 10,000 civilian sites destroyed in Iran since February 28 in military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel, Iran’s envoy to the United Nations has claimed.

Speaking to reporters, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the attacks have caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure across the country.

According to the figures cited by the envoy, a total of 9,669 civilian locations have been damaged or destroyed. These include 7,943 residential homes, 1,617 commercial and service centres, 32 medical and pharmaceutical facilities, 65 schools and educational institutions, 13 buildings belonging to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, along with several energy supply installations.

“They are deliberately and indiscriminately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure across my country,” Iravani alleged, accusing the US and Israel of ignoring international law and showing “no restraint” in carrying out the attacks.

He said densely populated neighbourhoods and critical infrastructure have repeatedly come under fire, warning that the number of casualties and damaged sites continues to rise as the strikes persist.

The envoy also described several recent incidents that he said caused severe harm to civilians. These included heavy strikes on fuel storage facilities in Tehran and other cities, which he said released hazardous pollutants into the air and triggered serious environmental and health concerns.

Citing information from the Iranian Red Crescent, Iravani said the explosions led to dangerous air pollution, posing risks especially to children, women, elderly people and individuals with pre-existing health conditions.

He further claimed that the attacks violated international environmental obligations, including those under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Among other incidents mentioned, Iravani said strikes targeted Mehrabad Airport, damaging several civilian aircraft and airport facilities. He also alleged that a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island in Iran’s Hormozgan Province was hit, disrupting water supply to around 30 villages.

The envoy also accused Israel of carrying out what he described as a “terrorist attack” on the Ramada Hotel, claiming four Iranian diplomats were killed in the strike.

Calling the incident a serious breach of international law, Iravani said the targeted killing of diplomats on the territory of another sovereign state constituted a war crime.

He urged the international community to intervene to stop the conflict, saying Iran would take all necessary steps to defend its people, territory and sovereignty.

With inputs from IANS