Related videos:
The government of Iran elevated its accusation against the United States and Israel before the UN Human Rights Council this Friday, amid the military escalation that is now entering its fourth week.
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abás Araqchí, accused both countries of acting with a "clear intention to commit genocide” following a series of attacks that, according to Tehran, have targeted civilian infrastructure and resulted in numerous casualties.
During his intervention -conducted via videoconference- Araqchí stated that the bombings have targeted non-military objectives, including health facilities and residential areas.
"They have attacked hospitals, ambulances, healthcare personnel, and Red Cross workers, refineries, residential areas... to describe these as crimes against humanity is an understatement; the severity of the aggressors' atrocities is accompanied by rhetoric that leaves little doubt about their clear intention to commit genocide," stated the Iranian foreign minister.
The minister specifically referred to the attack on a school in the city of Minab, which occurred on February 28 - the first day of the conflict - describing it as a "deliberate" act.
According to initial investigations cited by Iran, the action is said to have been carried out by U.S. forces.
Araqchí stated that this bombing constitutes "a war crime and a crime against humanity", and demanded a strong response from the international community: "It requires unequivocal condemnation and accountability for the perpetrators […] and it cannot be met with silence and indifference."
The urgent debate in the Human Rights Council was convened at the behest of Iran, with the support of China and other allied countries, amid increasing diplomatic pressure surrounding the conflict.
For Tehran, the current escalation is part of a broader pattern of impunity.
According to the head of Iranian diplomacy, the “illegal war” driven by Washington and Tel Aviv is a "direct result of the previous silence in the face of legal contempt and atrocities in Palestine, Lebanon, and other places."
The testimony of a mother
The most emotional moment of the session was led by Mohaddeseh Fallahat, mother of two girls who died in the attack on the school in Minab.
Her intervention, also via videoconference, gave a human face to the consequences of the conflict.
"Every day I feel the urge to open my daughters' room to see them sleeping or sitting and drawing," she recounted.
"I am not just a grieving mother; I am the voice of all the mothers who send their children to school believing they will be safe. School should be a place where one learns, where one laughs, a place that is supposed to be the future of the world, and not a site where that future can end in an instant," she added.
His testimony reinforced the Iranian strategy of focusing the denunciation on the civilian impact of the attacks, in line with its diplomatic offensive in international organizations.
Tension in the Strait of Hormuz
In parallel to the complaint filed with the UN, Iran has hardened its stance in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, one of the main arteries of global energy trade through which nearly 20% of the world's oil flows.
In a telephone conversation with the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, Araqchí argued that preventing the passage of ships linked to countries deemed enemies constitutes "a legal right" of Iran.
According to Iranian agencies, the chancellor attributed the rising insecurity in the region to "the illegality and aggression of the United States and the Zionist regime," while asserting that Iranian authorities have implemented measures to ensure navigation on their own terms.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard was even more explicit in warning that any vessel crossing the strait "will face serious consequences."
"The movement of any vessel 'to and from' the ports of allied and enemy origins from any corridor is prohibited," the military stated in a communiqué.
According to that same source, at least three container ships of different nationalities were forced to turn back after attempting to navigate through restricted routes.
An expanding war
The conflict, which began on February 28 with coordinated attacks by the United States and Israel on Iranian territory, has led to a continuous exchange of offensives.
Tehran has responded with waves of missiles and drones against Israel and strategic targets in the Gulf, while maintaining a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, although it allows the passage of vessels from allied countries.
In this scenario, the United States has not ruled out a ground operation in Iran.
President Donald Trump, for his part, announced the extension of the moratorium on attacks against Iran's energy infrastructure until April 6, "at the request of the Government" of Tehran, as he stated on his platform Truth Social.
The escalation keeps the international community on alert, both due to the risk of a regional expansion of the conflict and because of the global economic impact arising from tensions in energy supply.
Meanwhile, Iran insists on taking its complaint to the diplomatic arena, with accusations that escalate the tone and seek to place the conflict under the scrutiny of international organizations.
Filed under: