UN experts on Thursday decried the continuation of hostilities between the US and Iran, warning that the resumed conflict undermines peace and greatly increases civilian suffering in the region. Human rights authorities condemned the strikes and counter-strikes and emphasized the impact on civilians. Strikes on vessels operating within the Strait of Hormuz are “endangering civilian seafarers, and freedom of navigation,” the experts warned.
The UN also highlighted that US strikes on Iranian infrastructure hit a desalination plant, caused power outages, and inflicted damage on railways. There have also been reports of attacks on the Semnan Airport, a wheat silo, a bottled water factory, and “areas adjacent to a children’s cancer hospital in Ahvaz.” Iran’s Ministry of Health reported 50 dead and more than 500 injured.
The UN experts said that civilians—especially the most vulnerable of society, including children, women, refugees, persons with disabilities, and people living in poverty—are paying high costs:
The people of Iran are once again caught between renewed US strikes and their government’s internal repression… Those losing their lives include fishermen, night-shift workers caught in the strikes, and residents of informal settlements… Strikes on ports, power supplies and transport links sever communities from food, medicine and livelihoods in a country in deep economic precarity and have serious climate change implications.
On June 14, the White House announced that it reached a tentative peace deal with Iran. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran contained 14 key points, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days of signing, lifting US sanctions on Iran, and instituting a ceasefire while the deal is finalized within a maximum timeframe of 60 days, “extendable with mutual consent.”
However, the ceasefire collapsed after Iran carried out strikes on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The US has since begun a series of retaliatory strikes, which have increased in intensity and resulted in many casualties and significant infrastructure damage.
The Geneva Conventions of 1949 state that civilians must remain protected during armed conflict, and Article 52 of Additional Protocol I outlines protections for “civilian objects,” including infrastructure. While the US is bound by the Geneva Conventions, it has not ratified Additional Protocol I. However, the US has accepted, through the Department of Defense Law of War Manual, that core principles such as distinction, proportionality, and precautions are part of customary international law.
The UN experts strongly urged parties to “de-escalate and return to negotiations” and reminded parties of their obligations under international law.
