TEHRAN – Iranian civilians, rather than combatants, have borne the brunt of Israeli aggression against Iran, according to the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).
“The greatest harm has been inflicted on civilians. Among the martyrs are 126 women and 41 children—none of whom were combatants,” Pirhossein Kolivand said during a press conference held alongside Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday.
Kolivand said five Red Crescent relief workers were martyred after being directly targeted, with one ambulance set on fire.
A Red Crescent helicopter was also targeted, he added, describing the attack as a clear violation of the Four Geneva Conventions.
“No one has the right to attack medical personnel or civilians. Our mission is search and rescue; we exist to aid the people, yet we were deliberately obstructed and attacked,” Kolivand said.
Iran has submitted reports on the attacks to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
Kolivand said an ICRC representative recently accompanied him to Evin Prison, which was targeted on June 23, as well as to Hamedan city where food factories were bombed. The intensive care unit of Farabi Hospital was also attacked, he said, adding that he presented evidence of these violations to the ICRC.
Over the 12-day aggression, “every conceivable form of atrocity” was committed against Iranians, Kolivand said, noting that many international counterparts have expressed solidarity and condemned the Israeli actions.
“Our headquarters was directly attacked twice. Globally, medical facilities are marked with ‘No Honking’ signs—yet here, they were hit with missiles, spreading terror,” he said. “Is there any crime worse than this?”
On June 13, Israel launched what a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression against Iran, assassinating several high-ranking military commanders and nuclear scientists.
Israeli strikes also targeted military and nuclear sites, as well as vital non-military infrastructure, including the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting building, Evin Prison, healthcare centers, outreach facilities, residential neighborhoods, and rural communities,