NEW YORK (Dispatches) -- Iran has called on the United Nations Security Council to condemn a U.S. attack on two Iranian maritime search-and-rescue vessels, describing the incident as a grave violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime.
Iran’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Gholamhussein Darzi, said the U.S. deliberately attacked the rescue vessels Naji-15 and Naji-16 in the early hours of July 23 while they were operating in Iran’s territorial waters in Hormozgan Province.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the presidency of the UN Security Council, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Iran outlined its position on the incident and called for international action.
According to the letter, the two vessels were assigned exclusively to maritime search-and-rescue missions and were carrying out humanitarian operations when they sustained significant damage in the attack.
“The deliberate targeting of vessels assigned exclusively to maritime search and rescue operations constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and international maritime law,” Darzi wrote.
He said search-and-rescue vessels perform an exclusively humanitarian role by saving the lives of people in distress at sea and are protected under international law.
Citing Article 27 of the Second Geneva Convention of 1949, Darzi stated that small vessels used by states or officially recognized rescue organizations for coastal rescue operations must be respected and protected.
“The vessels Naji-15 and Naji-16 fall within the scope of this protection and were not engaged in any military activity or direct participation in hostilities,” he wrote.
“Their intentional targeting therefore constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and amounts to a war crime.”
Darzi said the attack endangered not only Iranian rescue personnel but also the safety of all sailors who may require assistance at sea, regardless of nationality.
He warned that targeting humanitarian maritime assets undermines the international legal framework designed to protect rescue operations and ensure the safety of navigation.
The Iranian envoy said the incident is part of a wider pattern, stating that since the beginning of U.S. and Israeli aggression against Iran on February 28, Iranian search-and-rescue vessels and sea ambulances dedicated solely to humanitarian missions have repeatedly been targeted.
“This was not an isolated incident,” Darzi wrote, describing the attacks as evidence of “a disturbing pattern of deliberate attacks against protected humanitarian assets.”
Iran called on the Security Council to fulfill its responsibilities under the UN Charter by condemning the incident, ensuring accountability for those responsible, and taking measures to prevent further attacks against humanitarian maritime vessels and personnel.
Tehran also requested that the UN secretary-general condemn the incident and engage relevant international bodies, including the IMO and the ICRC, to strengthen protection for maritime search-and-rescue services.
Despite the attack, Darzi said Iran will continue providing search-and-rescue services “safely, continuously and without discrimination” to all people in distress at sea.
“No act of aggression will deter Iran from fulfilling its humanitarian responsibilities or diminish its resolve to safeguard human life at sea,” the letter stated.
Iran requested that the communication be circulated as an official document of the UN Security Council.